Extent of T cell receptor ligation can determine the functional differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells.

作者：Stephanie L. Constant, Christiane Pfeiffer, Ann Woodard, Theresa Pasqualini, Kim Bottomly · 发表于：The Journal of Experimental Medicine · 年份：1995 · DOI：10.1084/jem.182.5.1591 · 被引用次数：690 · 研究领域：Immune Cell Function and Interaction、T-cell and B-cell Immunology、Immunotherapy and Immune Responses

Naive CD4+ T cells can differentiate into cells predominantly involved in humoral immunity, known as T helper type 2 cells (Th2), or cells involved in cell-mediated immunity, known as Th1 cells. In this report, we show that priming of CD4+ T cells bearing a transgene-encoded T cell receptor can lead to differentiation into Th1-like cells producing abundant interferon gamma when the cells are exposed to high antigen doses, while low doses of the same peptide induce cells with the same T cell receptor to differentiate into Th2-like cells producing abundant interleukin 4. Thus antigen dose is one factor that can control the differentiation fate of a naive CD4+ T cell.