T-cell receptor

A protein complex on T cells that recognizes peptide or other antigen fragments bound to major histocompatibility complex proteins. This recognition helps initiate T-cell responses.

T-cell receptor complex: The T-cell receptor together with CD3 signaling proteins that transmit recognition signals into the cell. CD3 subunits carry the signal after the receptor binds a presented antigen.
Major histocompatibility complex: A family of cell-surface proteins that presents peptide fragments for recognition by T cells. T-cell receptors generally recognize antigen as a combined peptide–MHC surface.
V(D)J recombination: A DNA rearrangement process that assembles variable immune-receptor genes from separate gene segments. It creates much of the sequence diversity among T-cell receptors.
CAR T-cell: A T cell engineered to express a synthetic receptor that recognizes a target without requiring peptide presentation by MHC. CARs are an alternative recognition system that bypasses the conventional T-cell receptor’s MHC restriction.
B-cell receptor: The membrane-bound antigen receptor of B cells, which can bind intact antigens and can be secreted as antibody after differentiation. Unlike most T-cell receptors, it can bind intact antigen without peptide presentation.
CD3: A group of membrane proteins associated with the T-cell receptor that transmits signals into T cells. Its signaling motifs convert receptor engagement into intracellular activation.
Antigen presentation: The process by which cells display antigen fragments on their surfaces for recognition by lymphocytes. It supplies the displayed material that T-cell receptors inspect.
T-cell development: The process by which immature T cells mature, primarily in the thymus, into functional T-cell types. Developing T cells assemble receptors and are tested for useful, safe recognition.
T-cell receptor therapy: Cancer treatment using T cells engineered to express a T-cell receptor directed against a tumor antigen. It applies antigen-specific receptor recognition to tumors that present the target peptide.
Gamma delta T cell: A T-cell subset bearing γδ T-cell receptors, which often recognize targets differently from conventional αβ T cells. Its receptor class broadens the kinds of molecular cues recognized by T cells.

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