title: Mechanisms behind functional avidity maturation in T cells.
abstract: During an immune response antigen-primed B-cells increase their antigen responsiveness by affinity maturation mediated by somatic hypermutation of the genes encoding the antigen-specific B-cell receptor (BCR) and by selection of higher-affinity B cell clones. Unlike the BCR, the T-cell receptor (TCR) cannot undergo affinity maturation. Nevertheless, antigen-primed T cells significantly increase their antigen responsiveness compared to antigen-inexperienced (naïve) T cells in a process called functional avidity maturation. This paper covers studies that describe differences in T-cell antigen responsiveness during T-cell differentiation along with examples of the mechanisms behind functional avidity maturation in T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark. messen@sund.ku.dk
authors.forename: Marina Rode
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: von Essen
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kongsbak
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geisler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D020239:Receptor Cross-Talk; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell