The somatically generated portion of T cell receptor CDR3α contributes to the MHC allele specificity of the T cell receptor.

ABSTRACT: Mature T cells bearing αβ T cell receptors react with foreign antigens bound to alleles of major histocompatibility complex proteins (MHC) that they were exposed to during their development in the thymus, a phenomenon known as positive selection. The structural basis for positive selection has long been debated. Here, using mice expressing one of two different T cell receptor β chains and various MHC alleles, we show that positive selection-induced MHC bias of T cell receptors is affected both by the germline encoded elements of the T cell receptor α and β chain and, surprisingly, dramatically affected by the non germ line encoded portions of CDR3 of the T cell receptor α chain. Thus, in addition to determining specificity for antigen, the non germline encoded elements of T cell receptors

SUBMITTER: Marrack P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5701794 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature