Resumen de El cambio conformacional en el TCR detecta la fortaleza del ligando en células T maduras y en timocitos

Ruth Risueño, Balbino Jose Alarcon Sanchez

• The T-cell receptor (TCR) provides the T cell the capacity to respond to antigen peptides bound to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). A unique feature of the TCR is its ability to scan similar MHCp ligands and transmit distinct biochemical signals depending on the strength of the ligand recognized. In developing thymocytes, strong agonists induce negative selection provoking the death by apoptosis in auto-reactive clones. Nevertheless, weak TCR ligands induce positive selection and allow thymocytes to survive and to continue developing. In periphery, only strong ligands activate mature T cells. The first event described upon TCR triggering is a conformational change in CD3?. In this study, we have compared the activation induced by different affinity TCR ligands in mature T cells in periphery and in immature thymocytes referred to the ability to induce the conformational change in the TCR. Not only in vitro, but also in vivo, the stimulation with strong agonists induces a conformational change in mature and immature T cells