Bacterial toxins as probes for the T-cell antigen receptor.

A variety of microorganisms produce substances with suppressive or stimulating effects on cells of the immune system; these products also influence the pathogenesis of these diseases. A number of microorganisms produce toxins with mitogenic potential for T cells of many species, and in this article Bernhard Fleischer discusses how these toxins may be useful tools to improve understanding of the structure and function of the T-cell antigen receptor.