Parsing digital or analog TCR performance through piconewton forces

Aoi Akitsu, Eiji Kobayashi, Yinnian Feng, Hannah M. Stephens, Kristine N. Brazin, Daniel J. Masi, Evan H. Kirkpatrick, Robert J. Mallis, Jonathan S. Duke-Cohan, Matthew A. Booker, Vincenzo Cinella, William W. Feng, Elizabeth L. Holliday, Jonathan J. Lee, Katarzyna J. Zienkiewicz, Michael Y. Tolstorukov, Wonmuk Hwang, Matthew J. Lang*, Ellis L. Reinherz*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

αβ T cell receptors (TCRs) principally recognize aberrant peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex molecules (pMHCs) on unhealthy cells, amplifying specificity and sensitivity through physical load placed on the TCR-pMHC bond during immunosurveillance. To understand this mechanobiology, TCRs stimulated by abundantly and sparsely arrayed epitopes (NP366-374/Db and PA224-233/Db, respectively) following in vivo influenza A virus infection were studied with optical tweezers. While certain NP repertoire CD8 T lymphocytes require many ligands for activation, others are digital, needing just few. Conversely, all PA TCRs perform digitally, exhibiting pronounced bond lifetime increases through sustained, energizing volleys of structural transitioning. Optimal digital performance is superior in vivo, correlating with ERK phosphorylation, CD3 loss, and activation marker up-regulation in vitro. Given neoantigen array paucity, digital TCRs are likely critical for immunotherapies.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberado4313
JournalScience Advances
Volume10
Issue number33
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024/08

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Parsing digital or analog TCR performance through piconewton forces'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this