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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Published on: December 26, 2019

Th1 and Th2 cells form morphologically distinct immunological synapses.

Timothy J Thauland¹, Yoshinobu Koguchi, Scott A Wetzel

¹Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.

Journal of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)

|June 21, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) cells form distinct immunological synapses (IS). Th1 cells create bull's-eye IS, while Th2 cells form multifocal or compact IS, differing in molecular organization.

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An Endothelial Planar Cell Model for Imaging Immunological Synapse Dynamics

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

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Published on: January 7, 2019

Area of Science:

Immunology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

The immunological synapse (IS) is crucial for T cell-mediated immunity, regulating communication between T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs).
Distinct T helper cell subsets, Th1 and Th2, orchestrate different immune responses, suggesting potential differences in their IS formation and function.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate and compare the structural organization of the immunological synapse formed by polarized Th1 and Th2 cells.
To elucidate the distinct molecular arrangements within the IS of Th1 versus Th2 cells in response to antigen presentation.

Main Methods:

Utilized supported planar bilayers and transfected fibroblast APCs to model T cell-APC interactions.
Analyzed the formation and molecular composition of IS in polarized Th1 and Th2 cells using microscopy and immunofluorescence techniques.

Main Results:

Th1 cells consistently formed canonical "bull's-eye" IS with peripheral adhesion molecules around central MHC/TCR complexes.
Th2 cells exhibited heterogeneous IS formation: multifocal structures at high antigen (Ag) concentrations and compact, non-excluded central accumulation at low Ag concentrations.
CD45 exclusion from the IS center was observed in Th1 cells but not in Th2 cells.
Phosphorylated signaling molecules showed greater colocalization with MHC/TCR in Th2 cell IS compared to Th1 cells.

Conclusions:

The structure of the immunological synapse differs significantly between Th1 and Th2 cells.
Th2 cells demonstrate an inability to form the characteristic "bull's-eye" IS observed in Th1 cells, indicating distinct signaling and adhesion mechanisms.