αβ T cell receptors as predictors of health and disease

作     者：Meriem Attaf Eric Huseby Andrew K Sewell 

作者机构：Cardiff University School of Medicine Cardiff UK and ZDepartment of Pathology University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester MA USA Correspondence: Professor AK Sewell Division of Infection and Immunity Cardiff University School of Medicine Henry Wellcome Building University Hospital Wales Cardiff CF14 4XN UK. 

出 版 物：《Cellular & Molecular Immunology》 (中国免疫学杂志（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2015年第12卷第4期

页      面：391-399页

核心收录：

学科分类：083002[工学-环境工程] 0830[工学-环境科学与工程（可授工学、理学、农学学位）] 07[理学] 08[工学] 0906[农学-兽医学] 09[农学] 0903[农学-农业资源与环境] 0713[理学-生态学] 

基　　金：英国威康基金会(The Wellcome Trust)项目 

主　　题：T cell receptor (TCR) TCR repertoire TCR diversity TCR clonotype TCR bias Deep sequencing 

摘      要：The diversity of antigen receptors and the specificity it underlies are the hallmarks of the cellular arm of the adaptive immune system. T and B lymphocytes are indeed truly unique in their ability to generate receptors capable of recognizing virtually any pathogen. It has been known for several decades that T lymphocytes recognize short peptides derived from degraded proteins presented by major histocompatibility complex （MHC） molecules at the cell surface. Interaction between peptide-MHC （pMHC） and the T cell receptor （TCR） is central to both thymic selection and peripheral antigen recognition. It is widely assumed that TCR diversity is required, or at least highly desirable, to provide sufficient immune coverage. However, a number of immune responses are associated with the selection of predictable, narrow, or skewed repertoires and public TCR chains. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the formation of the TCR repertoire and its maintenance in health and disease. We also outline the various molecular mechanisms that govern the composition of the pre-selection, naive and antigen-specific TCR repertoires. Finally, we suggest that with the development of high-throughput sequencing, common TCR ＇signatures＇ raised against specific antigens could provide important diagnostic biomarkers and surrogate predictors of disease onset, progression and outcome.