A CD4 T cell's view of the peptide MHC complex.
The defining feature of the immune system is its ability to distinguish self from non-self. The major component of the immune system responsible for this self / non-self discrimination is the diverse repertoire of antigen-specific T lymphocytes. T cell receptors can only recognize antigens derived from pathogens or transformed cells if these antigens in the derived peptide fragments of pathogenic protieins combine with Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules.
T cell receptors (TcR) dock
onto MHC: peptide complexes.
The research in my laboratory centers around the molecular events that regulate MHC class II-restricted antigen presentation and CD4 T cell activation in vivo. Our long term goal is to make connections between the mechanisms involved in peptide acquisition by class II molecules and those aspects of immunology that critically depend on the specific peptides presented by the class II molecule and then to use this insight to enhance human vaccine design and evaluation.
