Immune Netw.  2017 Aug;17(4):201-213. 10.4110/in.2017.17.4.201.

T Cell's Sense of Self: a Role of Self-Recognition in Shaping Functional Competence of Naïve T Cells

• Kim HO
• Cho JH

• KMID: 2388075
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4110/in.2017.17.4.201

Abstract

Post-thymic naïve T cells constitute a key cellular arm of adaptive immunity, with a well-known characteristic of the specificity and robustness of responses to cognate foreign antigens which is presented as a form of antigen-derived peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules by antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In a steady state, however, these cells are resting, quiescent in their activity, but must keep full ranges of functional integrity to mount rapid and robust immunity to cope with various infectious pathogens at any time and space. Such unique property of resting naïve T cells is not acquired in a default manner but rather requires an active mechanism. Although our understanding of exactly how this process occurs and what factors are involved remains incomplete, a particular role of self-recognition by T cells has grown greatly in recent years. In this brief review, we discuss recent data on how the interaction of T cells with self-peptide MHC ligands regulates their functional responsiveness and propose that variable strength of self-reactivity imposes distinctly different levels of functional competence and heterogeneity.

Keyword

T cell receptor; Self-peptides; Major histocompatibility complex; TCR tuning; Thymocytes; Naïve T cells

MeSH Terms

Adaptive Immunity
Antigen-Presenting Cells
Arm
Ligands
Major Histocompatibility Complex
Mental Competency*
Peptides
Population Characteristics
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
Sensitivity and Specificity
T-Lymphocytes*
Thymocytes
Ligands
Peptides
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Schematic diagram illustrating impact of TCR self-reactivity on shaping phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of peripheral naïve T cells. Both in thymus and periphery, self-recognitions by TCR heavily affect CD5 levels on T cells correlating with the strength of TCR affinity for self-ligands (i.e., low, intermediate, and high levels of CD5; CD5lo, CD5int, and CD5hi, respectively). Here the CD5hi cells relative to CD5lo cells are likely to be more ‘tuned’ both in the thymus and in the periphery, but at the same time better ‘conditioned’ in their functionality in response to various homeostatic or stimulatory and inflammatory cues, which allows in turn for these high self-reactive cells not only to generate more heterogeneity in their phenotypes and also to shape their function in dominating anti-viral immune responses. CD5int, intermediate level of CD5.

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