Intracellular Accumulation of T-Cell Receptor Complex Molecules in a Human T-Cell Line

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1986-11, Vol.234 (4777), p.748-751
• Main Authors: Tse, Doris B., Al-Haideri, Maysoon, Pernis, Benvenuto, Cantor, Charles R., Wang, Chang Yi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Antibodies; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antigens; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Compartmentation; Cell Line; Cell lines; Cell receptors; Cells; Cytoplasmic Granules - metabolism; Enzymes; Fluorescence; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; HLA Antigens - metabolism; Humans; Immunobiology; Lymphocytes; Medical research; Microtubules - ultrastructure; Molecules; Monoclonal antibodies; Organs and cells involved in the immune response; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - metabolism; Receptors, Transferrin - metabolism; T cell antigen receptors; T cells; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Transferrins
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.3490690

This work was aimed at understanding the mechanisms of T-lymphocyte function by studying the cellular distribution and traffic of molecules of the T-cell receptor complex. The accumulation of specific molecules in intracytoplasmic vesicles is related to the activation of T lymphocytes. Some of these molecules include acid hydrolases, the transferrin receptor, and class I antigens of the major histocompatibility complex. Molecules of the T-cell receptor complex have now also been found in intracytoplasmic vesicles in a human T-cell line derived from a lymphoblastic leukemia. Such vesicles were tightly associated with the cytoplasmic microtubule network. One functional aspect of this association is a cellular pathway by which vesicles traveling to and from the cell surface converge in an area of the cells that is rich in processing enzymes.