MODE OF ACTION OF IR GENES AND NATURE OF T-CELL RECEPTORS FOR ANTIGEN

Abstract

Evidence is briefly reviewed which supports the following proposals: (1) There are two main subsets of thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells), effector T cells (TE), and helper T cells (TH). TH cells are required for optimal TE cell and B cell responses. (There may be a third T cell subset (TD) concerned with delayed hypersensitivity). (2) The antigen-receptor dictionaries of these subsets are different from each other and from the B cell dictionary. In the mouse, the TE cell dictionary is restricted mainly to variations of the patterns of antigens dictated by genes in the K or D regions of the H-2 complex and the TH cell dictionary is restricted mainly to variations of the patterns of antigen..