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Related Concept Videos

Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules01:31

Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules

Immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules or Ig-CAMs are a versatile group of cell surface glycoproteins belonging to the immunoglobulin protein superfamily. Ig-CAMs possess the characteristic immunoglobulin protein domains and other domains such as the fibronectin type III domain. The Ig domains are glycosylated to varying degrees in different Ig-CAMs.
Ig-CAMs exhibit either homophilic binding (to other Ig-CAMs) or heterophilic binding (to other ligands such as integrins). While most Ig-CAMs...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity01:26

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

B Cell Activation and Differentiation

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When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Visualization of the Immunological Synapse by Dual Color Time-gated Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Nanoscopy
10:00

Visualization of the Immunological Synapse by Dual Color Time-gated Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Nanoscopy

Published on: March 24, 2014

The immunological synapse: a molecular machine controlling T cell activation.

A Grakoui1, S K Bromley, C Sumen

  • 1Center for Immunology and the Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 10, 1999
PubMed
Summary

T cells form immunological synapses dynamically to distinguish antigens. Stable central cluster formation within the synapse is crucial for T cell proliferation, indicating an active cellular communication mechanism.

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Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of the Immune Synapse in the Human System Using Imaging Flow Cytometry
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Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse
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Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Visualization of the Immunological Synapse by Dual Color Time-gated Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Nanoscopy
10:00

Visualization of the Immunological Synapse by Dual Color Time-gated Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Nanoscopy

Published on: March 24, 2014

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of the Immune Synapse in the Human System Using Imaging Flow Cytometry
08:35

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of the Immune Synapse in the Human System Using Imaging Flow Cytometry

Published on: January 7, 2019

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse
09:37

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Published on: December 26, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The immunological synapse is a specialized junction between T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells.
  • It features a central cluster of T cell receptors (TCRs) surrounded by adhesion molecules.
  • The dynamic nature of synapse formation in T cell recognition is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamic mechanisms of immunological synapse formation.
  • To determine how T cells distinguish between potential antigenic ligands during synapse formation.
  • To elucidate the role of synapse structure in initiating T cell proliferation.

Main Methods:

  • Live-cell imaging of T cell-APC interactions.
  • Analysis of T cell receptor-ligand engagement dynamics.
  • Quantification of central cluster formation and its correlation with T cell activation.

Main Results:

  • Immunological synapse formation is an active and dynamic process.
  • T cell receptor-ligand engagement occurs in an outer ring initially, then translocates centrally.
  • The kinetics of TCR-ligand interactions dictate the transport of complexes into the central cluster.
  • Formation of a stable central cluster is a critical determinant for T cell proliferation.

Conclusions:

  • T cells actively regulate immunological synapse formation to discriminate antigenic signals.
  • The dynamic assembly of the immunological synapse, particularly the central cluster, is essential for initiating T cell proliferation and adaptive immune responses.