# CELL SURFACE RECEPTORS ON CYTOTOXIC T CELLS

> **NIH NIH R01** · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · 1990 · $175,171

## Abstract

The cytotoxic thymus derived lymphocyte (CTL) is a critical element in the
effector phase of the immune response.  It plays a central role in the
destruction of virus-infected cells and in the rejection of foreign tissue
grafts or tumors.  Moreover, CTL's might also be involved in the
pathogenesis of some autoimmune diseases.

The main objective of this proposal is to study the target antigen
recognition and the initial phase of signal transduction by T cell
receptors.  The intention of the proposed studies is to unravel the
complexity of the T cell receptor/T3 complex on the surface of CTL, its
biosynthesis and the possible molecular mechanisms of transmembrane
signalling after ligand/receptor interaction has been established.  In
addition to a description of human T cell receptors specific for HLA-A2 and
-B7 antigens, T cell receptor function of murine CTL will be studied.

This system offers a number of unique advantages:

1) availability of well defined human and murine cytotoxic T cell clones
and target cells.  2) assays by which receptor/antigen interactions can be
studied are used routinely.  3) considerable information about the protein
structure of the T cell receptor/T3 complex on human and murine T cells has
been collected.  4) expertise in recombinant DNA technology has been
introduced in our laboratory.

The specific aims of the proposed project include:

a) the study of the B and a-chains of the T cell receptor on the surface of
human CTL's, b) the study of the role of the components of the T cell
receptor/T3 complex in the early stages of cytolysis, c) investigation of
the role of a2-microglobulin and the acessory structures T8 (Lyt2) and
LFA-1 in recognition of class I MHC antigens by CTL, d) a detailed
description of the components of the human and murine T cell receptor/T3
complex and its biosynthesis and, e) examination of the mode of signal
transduction by the T cell receptor/T3 complex.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3126002
- **Project number:** 5R01AI015066-13
- **Recipient organization:** DANA-FARBER CANCER INST
- **SAM.gov UEI:** DPMGH9MG1X67
- **Principal Investigator:** CORNELIS P TERHORST
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $175,171
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1978-08-01 → 1991-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3126002

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3126002, CELL SURFACE RECEPTORS ON CYTOTOXIC T CELLS (5R01AI015066-13). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3126002. Licensed CC0.

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