Purification and Characterization of the T-Cell Antigen Receptor Recognizing the Basic Encephalitogenic Protein

The molecular identity of the receptor molecule that enables T lymphocytes to recognize an antigen is unknown thus far. Binz and Wigzell [2] and Krawinkel and Rajewsky [9] have presented evidence that T cells express an antigen-recognizing receptor which seems to carry markers of the variable part of an immunoglobulin molecule; no evidence, however, has been found for the presence of the constant Ig domain. Hapten-binding material could be enriched from hapten-sensitized T-cells using an affinity method originally developed by Kiefer [8].