Immunology Today, vol. 5, No. 10, 1984
288 it seems that the lectin binding property of macrophages could be utilized as maturation and/or differentiation markers (this tissue is currently being studied in our laboratory). t.l.i NEMAT KHANSARI H. HUGH FUDENBERG
Department of Basic and Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
The T-cell antigen receptor: paradigm recalled SIR, The note by J o n a t h a n H o w a r d on the nature of the T-cell receptor (Immunol. Today, 1984, 5, 188) brought back immunologic memories of the pre T- and B-cell days. Over 25 years ago, the nature of the receptor responsible for immune recognition was the subject of a review entided Lymphocytes and Immunoglobulins, that Richard S. Asofsky and I wrote for the 1968 volume of Progress in Allergy. In the pre T- and B-cell days, the
References 1 Jancik, J. M., Andres, K. H., van During, M. and Shauer, R. (1978) CellTissueRes. 186, 209 2 Miller, E., Franco, M. W. and Schauer, R. (1981) Hoppe-Seylers z. Physiol. Chem. 362, 1609 3 Kalb-Bachafen, V., Schelepper-Schafer,T., Voggel,J. and Kalb, H. (1982) Cell29,859 4 Khansafi,N. and Fudenberg,H. H. (1983) Cell. Immunol. 78, 114 5 Khansari,N. and Fudenberg,H. H. (1983)Cell. Immunol. 80, 426 6 Springer,G. F. andDesai, P. R. (1982)J. Biol. Chem. 257, 2744 7 Huber, H. and Fudenberg, H. H. (1968)Int. Arch. Allerg~Appl. lmmunol. 34, 18 two major effector arms of the i m m u n e system were defined by delayed hypersensitivity (now T-cell mediated) and humoral antibody (now B-cell mediated). The following is a paragraph from the s u m m a r y of that review: ' T h e reaction of sensitized cells with antigen requires a specific recognition of some type, presumably provided by specific sites present on the reacting cells. T h e nature of the antigen recognition sites of such cells is unknown, but they could be provided by antibody-like molecules present on or in the cell. The nature of the humoral antibody-antigen reaction has
© 1984, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam 0167 - 4919/84/$02.00
been extensively studied and its specificity clearly defined. Such reactions provide the only welbcharacterized examples of antigen recognition. It is not necessary to conceive a completely different i m m u n e recognition system for cells when a highly specific mechanism is provided by immunoglobulin antibody'. W e went on to conclude: ' T h e circumstantial and direct evidence covered by this review indicate that the immunological activities of lymphocytes could be directed by antibody molecules or antibody-like structures on or in these cells. However, the evidence at the present time is not conclusive, and it is not possible to rule out another, as yet unknown, mechanism'. T h e nature of the T-cell receptor for antigen appears on the way to being defined by modern techniques of molecular biology and immunology. However, the more things change, the more things stay the same. STEWART SELL
Department of Pathologyand LaboratoryMedicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
288 it seems that the lectin binding property of macrophages could be utilized as maturation and/or differentiation markers (this tissue is currently being studied in our laboratory). t.l.i NEMAT KHANSARI H. HUGH FUDENBERG
Department of Basic and Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
The T-cell antigen receptor: paradigm recalled SIR, The note by J o n a t h a n H o w a r d on the nature of the T-cell receptor (Immunol. Today, 1984, 5, 188) brought back immunologic memories of the pre T- and B-cell days. Over 25 years ago, the nature of the receptor responsible for immune recognition was the subject of a review entided Lymphocytes and Immunoglobulins, that Richard S. Asofsky and I wrote for the 1968 volume of Progress in Allergy. In the pre T- and B-cell days, the
References 1 Jancik, J. M., Andres, K. H., van During, M. and Shauer, R. (1978) CellTissueRes. 186, 209 2 Miller, E., Franco, M. W. and Schauer, R. (1981) Hoppe-Seylers z. Physiol. Chem. 362, 1609 3 Kalb-Bachafen, V., Schelepper-Schafer,T., Voggel,J. and Kalb, H. (1982) Cell29,859 4 Khansafi,N. and Fudenberg,H. H. (1983) Cell. Immunol. 78, 114 5 Khansari,N. and Fudenberg,H. H. (1983)Cell. Immunol. 80, 426 6 Springer,G. F. andDesai, P. R. (1982)J. Biol. Chem. 257, 2744 7 Huber, H. and Fudenberg, H. H. (1968)Int. Arch. Allerg~Appl. lmmunol. 34, 18 two major effector arms of the i m m u n e system were defined by delayed hypersensitivity (now T-cell mediated) and humoral antibody (now B-cell mediated). The following is a paragraph from the s u m m a r y of that review: ' T h e reaction of sensitized cells with antigen requires a specific recognition of some type, presumably provided by specific sites present on the reacting cells. T h e nature of the antigen recognition sites of such cells is unknown, but they could be provided by antibody-like molecules present on or in the cell. The nature of the humoral antibody-antigen reaction has
© 1984, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam 0167 - 4919/84/$02.00
been extensively studied and its specificity clearly defined. Such reactions provide the only welbcharacterized examples of antigen recognition. It is not necessary to conceive a completely different i m m u n e recognition system for cells when a highly specific mechanism is provided by immunoglobulin antibody'. W e went on to conclude: ' T h e circumstantial and direct evidence covered by this review indicate that the immunological activities of lymphocytes could be directed by antibody molecules or antibody-like structures on or in these cells. However, the evidence at the present time is not conclusive, and it is not possible to rule out another, as yet unknown, mechanism'. T h e nature of the T-cell receptor for antigen appears on the way to being defined by modern techniques of molecular biology and immunology. However, the more things change, the more things stay the same. STEWART SELL
Department of Pathologyand LaboratoryMedicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
