Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
11:00
Visualizing the Actin and Microtubule Cytoskeletons at the B-cell Immune Synapse Using Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Microscopy
Published on: April 9, 2018
Intraflagellar transport: a new player at the immune synapse
Francesca Finetti1, Silvia Rossi Paccani, Joel Rosenbaum
1Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Trends in Immunology
|March 11, 2011
Summary
Intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins, typically for cilia, unexpectedly aid immune synapse formation in T lymphocytes. This suggests the immune synapse may function like a primary cilium in these cells.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Primary cilia are crucial for cell signaling, with their assembly and maintenance dependent on intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins.
- IFT components are unexpectedly found in hematopoietic cells, which lack primary cilia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the novel role of IFT proteins in T lymphocytes.
- To explore the function of IFT proteins in immune synapse assembly and intracellular membrane trafficking.
- To hypothesize the immune synapse as a functional homolog of the primary cilium.
Main Methods:
- Review and summarization of existing data on IFT protein expression in hematopoietic cells.
- Analysis of the role of IFT proteins in T lymphocyte immune synapse formation.
- Examination of IFT protein involvement in intracellular membrane trafficking.
Main Results:
- IFT proteins are expressed in T lymphocytes, cells lacking primary cilia.
- IFT proteins play an unexpected role in the assembly of the immune synapse.
- IFT proteins are involved in intracellular membrane trafficking within T lymphocytes.
Conclusions:
- IFT proteins have a non-canonical function in T lymphocytes, independent of cilia.
- The immune synapse may serve as a functional equivalent to the primary cilium in T cells.
- This finding opens new avenues for understanding T cell signaling and immune responses.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Colonisation of Pathogens
Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...
01:10Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria
Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a virus that...
01:32Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins
Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular cargos...
01:34Protein Transport into the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane
Nuclear encoded mitochondrial precursors are imported to the inner membrane in a multistep process involving two separate translocons, TIM22 and TIM23. TIM23 is a cation-selective pore that remains closed by the N terminal segment of the protein. Negative charges on the TIM23 act as a receptor for the incoming precursor, pulling the positively charged matrix-targeting sequence for peptide insertion and translocation.
Transport of mitochondrial precursors across the TIM23 channel is driven by...
Transport of mitochondrial precursors across the TIM23 channel is driven by...
01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Some...
01:15Transcytosis of IgG
Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...