Strominger J L
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
Science. 1989 May 26;244(4907):943-50. doi: 10.1126/science.2658058.
T cell receptors are the antigen-recognizing elements found on the effector cells of the immune system. Two isotypes have been discovered, TCR-gamma delta and TCR-alpha beta, which appear in that order during ontogeny. The maturation of prothymocytes that colonize the thymic rudiment at defined gestational stages occurs principally within the thymus, although some evidence for extrathymic maturation also exists. The maturation process includes the rearrangement and expression of the T cell receptor genes. Determination of these mechanisms, the lineages of the cells, and the subsequent thymic selection that results in self-tolerance is the central problem in developmental immunology and is important for the understanding of autoimmune diseases.
T细胞受体是在免疫系统效应细胞上发现的抗原识别元件。已发现两种同种型，即TCR-γδ和TCR-αβ，它们在个体发育过程中按此顺序出现。在特定妊娠阶段定殖于胸腺原基的前胸腺细胞的成熟主要发生在胸腺内，尽管也存在一些胸腺外成熟的证据。成熟过程包括T细胞受体基因的重排和表达。确定这些机制、细胞谱系以及导致自身耐受的后续胸腺选择是发育免疫学的核心问题，对于理解自身免疫性疾病很重要。
