The specificity of T cell regulation that enables self-nonself discrimination in the periphery.

ABSTRACT: It was recently shown that perceiving the avidity of T cell activation can be translated into peripheral T cell regulation to control autoimmune disease. This regulation is achieved by CD8(+) T cells that recognize a common surrogate target structure, Qa-1/Hsp60sp, preferentially expressed by activated T cells of intermediate but not high avidity. A truncated self-reactive repertoire, devoid of high-avidity T cells, generated by thymic negative selection, allows selective down-regulation of intermediate-avidity T cells to accomplish self-nonself discrimination in the periphery. Identification of the common surrogate target structure expressed on intermediate-avidity T cells opens up a conceptual theme to understand the relationship between the specificity of peripheral immune regulation an

SUBMITTER: Wu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2613037 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature