Number of antigen-receptor molecules on T cell surface

Value 30000 receptors/cell
Organism Human Homo sapiens
Reference Janeway's Immunobiology 5th edition, © 2001 by Garland Science Chapter 3 p.106 top paragraph - link
Comments P.106 top paragraph: "3-10 The antigen receptor on T cells is very similar to a Fab fragment of immunoglobulin: T-cell receptors were first identified using monoclonal antibodies that bound only one cloned T-cell line but not others and that could specifically inhibit antigen recognition by that clone of T cells, or specifically activate them (see Appendix I, section A-19). These clonotypic antibodies were then used to show that each T cell bears about 30,000 antigen-receptor molecules on its surface, each receptor consisting of two different polypeptide chains, termed the T-cell receptor α (TCRα) and ß (TCRß) chains, linked by a disulfide bond. These α:ß heterodimers are very similar in structure to the Fab fragment of an immunoglobulin molecule (Fig. 3.11), and they account for antigen recognition by most T cells."
Entered by Uri M
ID 103567