Negative selection imparts peptide specificity to the mature T cell repertoire
Open Access
- 22 September 2003
- journal article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Vol. 100 (20) , 11565-11570
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1934636100
Abstract
The T cell αβ receptor (TCR) recognizes foreign peptide antigens bound to proteins encoded in the MHC. The MHC portion of this complex contributes much to the footprint of the TCR on the ligand, yet T cells are usually very specific for individual foreign peptides. Here, we show that the development of peptide-specific T cells is not intrinsic to thymocytes that undergo thymic-positive selection but is an outcome of eliminating, through negative selection, thymocytes bearing TCRs with extensive peptide cross-reactivity. Hence, thymic-negative selection imposes peptide specificity on the mature T cell repertoire.Keywords
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