Abstract
The invention of MHC-tetramer technology to label antigen-specific T cells has lead to a greatly enhanced understanding of T lymphocyte biology. This protocol describes the use of MHC class I tetramers to stain antigen-specific T cells in tissue sections. In situ tetramer staining (IST) can be used to determine the localization, abundance, and phenotype of antigen-specific T cells in native environments and in three-dimensional space. IST is broadly applicable because it can be used to stain essentially any antigen-specific T cell in any tissue for which MHC tetramers are available. IST can be combined with histochemistry and/or immunohistochemistry to permit visualization and characterization of antigen-specific T cells relative to other cell types in stained tissue sections. Thus, IST is a useful and valuable component of MHC-tetramer technology.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | Unit 17.4 |
| Journal | Current protocols in immunology / edited by John E. Coligan ... [et al.] |
| Volume | Chapter 17 |
| State | Published - Jan 2005 |