Analysis Of Cytotoxic T Cells ( Ctcs ) - 871 Words

Cytotoxic T Cells (CTCs) are comprised of alpha beta chains that have the ability to directly kill infected cells. As a major component of the adaptive immune system, the function of CTCs are to â€Å"scan the intracellular environment in order to target and destroy infected cells†. Small peptide molecules, presented on behalf of the entire cell, are transported to the cell surface as pMHC, allowing TCRs on the surface to detect any foreign signals in the method explain above. The diagram below shows how the antigen fragment inside the cell associates with an MHC molecule and is transported to the cell surface. CTC responses to disease are initiated through the interaction between the TCR, and these protein fragments derived from ‘foreign’ invaders that are presented by pMHCI on the surface of infected cells. â€Å"The affinity between CD8 and the MHC molecule keeps the T cell and the target cell bound closely together during antigen-specific activation† sp ecially conducted in CTC due to the complex bonds within the CD8. Once a CTL has identified a cell expressing a ‘foreign’ class 1 MHC, the infected cell is eliminated. The structure of the receptors on these CTCs are specialised for this due to its double edged variable region, as shown in the diagram, allowing for additional binding to co receptor CD8, facilitating the phagocytosis on the pathogen if necessary. CDR3 is found on the TCR in CTCs as CTCs interact with a large number of different cell types and recognise a diverse