Elementary steps int cell receptor triggering

Abstract

The mechanism by which antigen binding to theT cell antigen receptor (TCR) generates intracellular signaling, a process termedTCR triggering, is incompletely understood. A large body of experimental evidence has implicated multiple biophysical/biochemical effects and multiple molecules in the process of TCR triggering, which likely reflect the uniquely demanding role of the TCR in recognizing diverse antigenic ligands. In this perspective, I propose that breaking down the process of TCR triggering into tractable elementary steps may be a useful approach in building mechanisticTCR triggering models. Once these elementary steps are understood, they can be recombined to build a unified model of TCR triggering. © 2012 Dushek.