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Role of adhesion molecules in activation signaling in T lymphocytes
1Department of Pathology, Skirball Institute of Molecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016, USA. dustin@saturn.med.nyu.edu
The T cell and antigen-presenting cell communicate to initiate an immune response through formation of an immunological synapse. This specialized cell-cell junction is compartmentalized into adhesion molecule and T cell receptor enriched regions or SMACs. Distinct signals seem to be generated in the T cell receptor and adhesion molecule-dominated regions. This review focuses on how these distinct signaling pathways may be integrated within the T cell to set thresholds for T cell activation, proliferation, and survival.
The T cell and antigen-presenting cell communicate to initiate an immune response through formation of an immunological synapse. This specialized cell-cell junction is compartmentalized into adhesion molecule and T cell receptor enriched regions or SMACs. Distinct signals seem to be generated in the T cell receptor and adhesion molecule-dominated regions. This review focuses on how these distinct signaling pathways may be integrated within the T cell to set thresholds for T cell activation, proliferation, and survival.