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Antigen presentation stimulates T cells to become either "cytotoxic" CD8+ cells or "helper" CD4+ cells.. A cytotoxic T cell (also known as T C, cytotoxic T lymphocyte, CTL, T-killer cell, cytolytic T cell, CD8 + T-cell or killer T cell) is a T lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell) that kills cancer cells, cells that are infected by intracellular pathogens (such as viruses or bacteria), or ...
These cells are defined by the expression of the CD8 protein on their cell surface. Cytotoxic T cells recognize their targets by binding to short peptides (8-11 amino acids in length) associated with MHC class I molecules, present on the surface of all nucleated cells. Cytotoxic T cells also produce the key cytokines IL-2 and IFNγ.
Activated effector T cells can be placed into three functioning classes, detecting peptide antigens originating from various types of pathogen: The first class being 1) Cytotoxic T cells, which kill infected target cells by apoptosis without using cytokines, 2) T h 1 cells, which primarily function to activate macrophages, and 3) T h 2 cells ...
Only licensed dendritic cells are able to activate cytotoxic T cells. T cell licensing of dendritic cells is key for activation of cytotoxic T cells for many pathogens, although the extent to which T cell help is needed may vary. [14] In MHC class I and class II molecules, only certain epitopes of an internalized peptide can be presented.
Within the scientific discipline of toxicology, Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are generated by immune activation of cytotoxic T cells (T c cells). They are generally CD8 +, which makes them MHC class I restricted. CTLs are able to eliminate most cells in the body since most nucleated cells express class I MHC molecules.
They are considered essential in B cell antibody class switching, breaking cross-tolerance in dendritic cells, in the activation and growth of cytotoxic T cells, and in maximizing bactericidal activity of phagocytes such as macrophages and neutrophils. CD4 + cells are mature T h cells that express the surface protein CD4.
CD3 (cluster of differentiation 3) is a protein complex and T cell co-receptor that is involved in activating both the cytotoxic T cell (CD8+ naive T cells) and T helper cells (CD4+ naive T cells). [1] It is composed of four distinct chains. In mammals, the complex contains a CD3γ chain, a CD3δ chain, and two CD3ε chains.
Activation of T cells without co-stimulation may lead to the unresponsiveness of the T cell (also called anergy), apoptosis or the acquisition of the immune tolerance. [ 3 ] The counterpart of the co-stimulatory signal is a (co-)inhibitory signal, where inhibitory molecules interact with different signaling pathways in order to arrest T cell ...