title: Co-receptors and recognition of self at the immunological synapse.
abstract: The co-receptors CD4 and CD8 are important in the activation of T cells primarily because of their ability to interact with the proteins of the MHC enhancing recognition of the MHC-peptide complex by the T cell receptor (TCR). An antigen-presenting cell presents a small number of antigenic peptides on its MHC molecules, in the presence of a much larger number of endogenous, mostly nonstimulatory, peptides. Recent work has demonstrated that these endogenous MHC-peptide complexes have an important role in modulating the sensitivity of the TCR. But the role of the endogenous nonstimulatory MHC-peptide complexes differs in MHC class I and class II-restricted T cells. This chapter discusses the data on the role of CD4 or CD8 co-receptors in T cell activation at the immunological synapse, and the role of non stimulatory MHC-peptide complexes in aiding antigen recognition.
authors: Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. Gascoigne@scripps.edu
authors: Nicholas R J
authors: NR
authors: Gascoigne
authors: Tomasz
authors: T
authors: Zal
authors: Pia P
authors: PP
authors: Yachi
authors: John A H
authors: JA
authors: Hoerter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000502:physiology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000502:physiology*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D054992:Immunological Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell