Description
Product Characteristics: The H57-597 antibody is specific for the beta chain of the mouse T cell Receptor (TCR). This cell surface protein combines with a second protein chain (alpha chain) to form the alpha-beta TCR that is expressed by NK1.1+ thymocytes, NKT cells, and the majority of peripheral T cells. A small number of T cells may express an alternative heteromer of gamma/delta protein chains, known as the g/d TCR. These receptors participate in a complex with CD3, and with the co- receptors CD4 or CD8, to recognize and respond to antigens bound to MHC molecules on antigen-presenting cells. Such interactions promote T cell receptor signaling (T cell activation) and can result in a number of cellular responses including proliferation, differentiation, production of cytokines or activation-induced cell death.The H57-597 antibody is used as a phenotypic marker for T cells expressing the alpha-beta TCR. It is also widely used to cross-link surface TCR and thereby mimic TCR-mediated cell activation or induction of apoptosis. The antibody does not cross-react with cells expressing the g/d TCR.
Target Information: T cell receptors recognize foreign antigens which have been processed as small peptides and bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules at the surface of antigen presenting cells (APC). Each T cell receptor is a dimer consisting of one alpha and one beta chain or one delta and one gamma chain. In a single cell, the T cell receptor loci are rearranged and expressed in the order delta, gamma, beta, and alpha. If both delta and gamma rearrangements produce functional chains, the cell expresses delta and gamma. If not, the cell proceeds to rearrange the beta and alpha loci. This region represents the germline organization of the T cell receptor beta locus. The beta locus includes V (variable), J (joining), diversity (D), and C (constant) segments. During T cell development, the beta chain is synthesized by a recombination event at the DNA level joining a D segment with a J segment, a V segment is then joined to the D-J gene. The C segment is later joined by splicing at the RNA level. Recombination of many different V segments with several J segments provides a wide range of antigen recognition. Additional diversity is attained by junctional diversity, resulting from the random additional of nucleotides by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase. Several V segments of the beta locus are known to be incapable of encoding a protein and are considered pseudogenes. The beta locus also includes several trypsinogen genes. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]