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Unique features of the pre-T-cell receptor α-chain: not just a surrogate

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 5, pages 571–577 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

The pre-T-cell receptor (pre-TCR) has a crucial role in the normal development of αβ T cells. Different views have emerged concerning the structure and function of the pre-TCR. This molecular complex can be viewed as a variant of the αβ-TCR in which the pre-TCR α-chain that is covalently associated with the TCR β-chain is a 'surrogate' TCR α-chain. Alternatively, the unique structure of the pre-TCR might be associated with a unique function, owing to evolutionary selection of a pre-TCR α-chain that has different capabilities from the TCR α-chain. As described here, I consider that experimental evidence favours the latter view.

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Figure 1: Genomic organization of the mouse locus encoding the pre-T-cell receptor α-chain.
Figure 2: The pre-T-cell receptor and the αβ-T-cell receptor.
Figure 3: Early stages of development of CD4−CD8− (double negative) and CD4+CD8+ (double positive) thymocytes.
Figure 4: Pre-T-cell-receptor-dependent signal transduction and activation of transcription factors.

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  1. Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, 02115, Massachusetts, USA

    Harald von Boehmer

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DATABASES

Entrez Gene

CSL

MYB

Notch

pTα

RAG2

TCR-α

TCR-β

Tcrg

Tcrd

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von Boehmer, H. Unique features of the pre-T-cell receptor α-chain: not just a surrogate. Nat Rev Immunol 5, 571–577 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri1636

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