histotope

histo- +‎ -tope

histotope (plural histotopes)

1. The portion of an antigen that reacts with or binds to a T-cell.
   • 1984, William E. Paul, Immunogenetics, page 156:

     Thus, a mutation affecting the structure of a class II molecule changes the co-recognition specificity of a histotope on the APC of the mutant.

   • 2012, Benvenuto Pernis, Processing and Presentation of Antigens, page 117:

     However, this experiment by itself did not distinguish whether the change was in the desetope, which is the most straightforward interpretation, or in the histotope.

   • 2012, Carl W. Pierce, Susan E. Cullen, Judith A. Kapp, Ir Genes: Past, Present, and Future, page 303:

     First, during ontogeny, T cells are positively selected by recognition of the histotope and then negatively selected by a tolerance mechanism or vice versa.