The early proximal αβ TCR signalosome specifies thymic selection outcome through a quantitative protein interaction network

Authors: Steven C. Neier, Alejandro Ferrer, Katelynn M. Wilton, Stephen Smith, April M. Huseby Kelcher, Kevin D. Pavelko, Jenna M. Canfield, Tessa R. Davis, Robert J. Stiles, Zhenjun Chen, James McCluskey, Scott R. Burrows, Jamie Rossjohn, Deanne Hebrink, Eva M. Carmona, Andrew H. Limper, Dietmar J. Kappes, Peter J. Wettstein, Aaron J. Johnson, Larry R. Pease, Mark A. Daniëls, Claudia Neuhauser, Diana Gil, Adam G. Schrum - Science Immunology 2019 cited by 22

thymocytes were inhibited but capable of signaling positive selection, generating low numbers of MHC-dependent αβ T cells that expressed diverse TCR repertoires and participated in immune responses against infection. We conclude that the major role for CD3δ in positive selection is to quantitatively boost the signal for maximal generation of αβ T cells. Together, these data indicate that a quantitative network signaling mechanism through the early proximal TCR signalosome determines thymic selection outcome.