Regulation of naive T cell differentiation by varying the potency of TCR signal transduction

The regulation of naive T cell development into different effector cell sub sets is mediated by a complex inter play between the cytokine microenvironm ent, receptor ligand interactions on the T cell and the antigen presenting cell, and the potency of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. rn this review we will focus on how alterations in the strength of TCR ligation initiate dif ferent signal transduction patterns which regulate the developmental fate o f naive T cells. We propose a model in which specific signals are required to initiate Th2 differentiation, but that this pathway can be inhibited fol lowing a strong TCR stimulus.