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Super-resolution Imaging of the Natural Killer Cell Immunological Synapse on a Glass-supported Planar Lipid Bilayer
Published on: February 11, 2015
Active trans-synaptic capture of membrane fragments by natural killer cells
Julie Tabiasco1, Eric Espinosa, Denis Hudrisier
1Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse-Purpan, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Toulouse, France.
Abstract:
Prior to delivery of a lethal hit, NK cells form an immunological synapse to scan the target cells and engage their activatory and inhibitory receptors. Using freshly isolated NK cells, IL-2-activated polyclonal NK bulk or the NKL cell line, we report here that early during this recognition process, human NK cells actively capture target cell membrane fragments. This novel NK cell function occurs via the immunological synapse, is controlled by Src kinase, ATP, Ca(2+) and PKC and involves rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. Furthermore, this process is down-regulated by signals emanating from inhibitory NK receptors recognizing protective MHC class I alleles.
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