Evolving concepts of specificity in immune reactions
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Evolving concepts.pdf
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Author(s)
Chakraborty, Arup K
Eisen, Herman N.
Date Issued
December 2010
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
Citation
Eisen, H. N., and A. K. Chakraborty. “Evolving Concepts of Specificity in Immune Reactions.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107.52 (2010): 22373–22380. © 2017 National Academy of Sciences
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Our goal is to provide a perspective on current understanding of the origins of specificity in immune reactions, a topic that has intrigued scientists for over a century. A fundamental property of adaptive immune responses is the ability to discriminate among an immense variety of substances by means of antibodies (Abs) and Ab-like receptors on T lymphocytes [T-cell receptors (TCRs)], each able to bind a particular chemical structure [the antigen (Ag)] and not, or only weakly, similar alternatives. Evidence has long existed, however, and has grown, especially recently, that while exhibiting remarkable specificity, many individual Abs and TCRs can also bind a variety of very different ligands. How can Ag recognition by these receptors exercise the great specificity for which they are renowned and yet react with a variety of different ligands (degeneracy)? We critically consider the mechanistic bases for this specificity/degeneracy enigma and also compare and contrast Ag recognition by Abs and TCRs.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Medical Engineering & Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry
Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1012051108
