Monomeric TCRs drive T cell antigen recognition.

  • M Brameshuber
  • , F Kellner
  • , BK Rossboth
  • , H Ta
  • , K Alge
  • , E Sevcsik
  • , J Göhring
  • , M Axmann
  • , F Baumgart
  • , NRJ Gascoigne
  • , SJ Davis
  • , H Stockinger
  • , GJ Schütz
  • , JB Huppa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

99 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

T cell antigen recognition requires T cell antigen receptors (TCRs) engaging MHC-embedded antigenic peptides (pMHCs) within the contact region of a T cell with its conjugated antigen-presenting cell. Despite micromolar TCR:pMHC affinities, T cells respond to even a single antigenic pMHC, and higher-order TCRs have been postulated to maintain high antigen sensitivity and trigger signaling. We interrogated the stoichiometry of TCRs and their associated CD3 subunits on the surface of living T cells through single-molecule brightness and single-molecule coincidence analysis, photon-antibunching-based fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and Förster resonance energy transfer measurements. We found exclusively monomeric TCR-CD3 complexes driving the recognition of antigenic pMHCs, which underscores the exceptional capacity of single TCR-CD3 complexes to elicit robust intracellular signaling.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)487-496
Number of pages10
JournalNature Immunology
Volume19
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2018

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Antigen Presentation/immunology
  • CD3 Complex/chemistry
  • Lymphocyte Activation/immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/chemistry
  • T-Lymphocytes/immunology

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