INVESTIGADORES
MALCHIODI Emilio Luis
artículos
Título:
Crystal structure of the V alpha domain of a T cell antigen receptor.
Autor/es:
FIELDS BA, OBER B, MALCHIODI EL, LEBEDEVA MI, BRADEN BC, YSERN X, KIM JK, SHAO X,
Revista:
SCIENCE
Referencias:
Año: 1995 vol. 270 p. 1821 - 1824
ISSN:
0036-8075
Resumen:
The crystal structure of the V alpha domain of a T cell antigen receptor (TCR) was determined at a resolution of 2.2 angstroms. This structure represents an immunoglobulin topology set different from those previously described. A switch in a polypeptide strand from one beta sheet to the other enables a pair of V alpha homodimers to pack together to form a tetramer, such that the homodimers are parallel to each other and all hypervariable loops face in one direction. On the basis of the observed mode of V alpha association, a model of an (alpha beta)2 TCR tetramer can be positioned relative to the major histocompatibility complex class II (alpha beta)2 tetramer with the third hypervariable loop of V alpha over the amino-terminal portion of the antigenic peptide and the corresponding loop of V beta over its carboxyl-terminal residues. TCR dimerization that is mediated by the alpha chain may contribute to the coupling of antigen recognition to signal transduction during T cell activation.