ABSTRACT
Recognition and the transfer of information between immune cells are mediated by membrane bound receptors, by the crosstalk between various receptors expressed on the same cell and by direct and/or indirect interaction of various immunocompetent cells. Activation of these cells is mainly induced by receptors belonging to the family of multisubunit immune recognition receptors (MIRR), the members of which are characterized by a complex heterooligomeric structure in which ligand binding and signal transducing functions are segregated into distinct receptor substructures (Figure 14.1). Members of the MIRR receptor family, such as the antigen receptors of T lymphocytes (TCR – T-cell receptor), that of the B lymphocytes (BCR – B-cell receptor) and certain types of receptors interacting with the Fc parts of immunoglobulins (FcRs – Fc receptors) (Cambier et al., 1993) transduce signals by very similar mechanisms (Lin et al., 1994).
