Immunological synapse and microclusters: the site for recognition and activation of T cells

✍ Scribed by Takashi Saito; Tadashi Yokosuka

• Book ID: 104014480
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 337 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0952-7915
• DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2006.03.014

✦ Synopsis

An immunological synapse (IS) is formed at the interface between antigen-presenting cells and T cells, and is believed to be the structure responsible for antigen recognition and T-cell activation. However, recent imaging analyses reveal that T-cell receptor microclusters (MCs) formed prior to IS are the site for antigen recognition and T-cell activation. MCs are continuously generated at the periphery of the interface, even after IS formation, and induce sustained activation signals. MC formation is not accompanied by lipid-raft clustering. Central supramolecular activation cluster is considered functional in recycling and degradation of T-cell receptors, directional secretion of cytokines and cytolytic granules, generation of sustained signals, or maintenance of the cell-cell conjugation.