RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Beyond Self-Nonself for MHC JF Science's STKE JO Sci. STKE FD American Association for the Advancement of Science SP tw334 OP tw334 DO 10.1126/stke.3542006tw334 VO 2006 IS 354 A1 Hines, Pamela J. YR 2006 UL http://stke.sciencemag.org/content/2006/354/tw334.abstract AB Proteins of the major histocompatibility complex class 1 (MHC1), which are important in identifying self and nonself tissue for the immune system, are also found in the brain. Syken et al. show that a receptor, PirB, to which the MHC1 proteins bind, is also found in neurons of the brain. In mice carrying a mutant PirB lacking its signal transduction capabilities, the overall structure of the brain remained normal. However, these mice showed greater than normal plasticity in the visual cortex. Thus, intercellular signaling through PirB seems to be critical for keeping visual plasticity within limits. J. Syken, T. GrandPre, P. O. Kanold, C. J. Shatz, PirB restricts ocular-dominance plasticity in visual cortex. Science 313, 1795-1800 (2006). [Abstract] [Full Text]