Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Immunology. 2010 Jun;130(2):151-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2010.03267.x. Epub 2010 Apr 6.
Despite decades of intensive research, T-cell activation has remained mysterious because of both the dizzying diversity of antigen recognition and the speed and comprehensiveness of the T-cell-receptor signalling network. Further progress will require new approaches and reagents that provide added levels of control. Photochemistry allows specific biochemical processes to be controlled with light and is well suited to mechanistic studies in complex cellular environments. In recent years, several laboratories have adopted approaches based on photoreactive peptide-major histocompatibility complex reagents in order to study T-cell activation and function with high precision. Here, I review these efforts and outline future directions for this exciting area of research.
尽管经过了几十年的深入研究,但由于抗原识别的多样性令人眼花缭乱,以及 T 细胞受体信号网络的速度和全面性,T 细胞的激活仍然是一个谜。进一步的进展将需要新的方法和试剂,这些方法和试剂可以提供额外的控制水平。光化学允许用光控制特定的生化过程,非常适合在复杂的细胞环境中进行机制研究。近年来,有几个实验室采用了基于光反应性肽-主要组织相容性复合物试剂的方法,以便以高精度研究 T 细胞的激活和功能。在这里,我回顾了这些努力,并概述了这一令人兴奋的研究领域的未来方向。