The major histocompatibility complex: A review

Abstract

One of the important components of the immune system, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules allow T-lymphocytes to detect cells, such as macrophages, B-lymphocytes, and dendritic cells that ingest infectious microorganisms or the self-cells infected with microorganism. On being engulfed a microorganism, macrophage partially digests it and displays peptide fragments of the microbe on its surface, bound to MHC molecules and the T-lymphocyte recognizes the foreign fragment attached to the MHC molecule and binds to it, lead to stimulation of an immune response. The MHC molecule presents peptides from its own cell (self-peptides) in healthy self-cells to which T-cells do not normally react.