Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

10.7K
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...
10.7K
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

12.9K
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...
12.9K
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

5.1K
Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
5.1K
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

21.2K
Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
21.2K
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

139.2K
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
139.2K
Synaptic Signaling01:09

Synaptic Signaling

7.3K
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
7.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

CD155 density on target cells drives divergent natural killer cell responses owing to DNAM-1 loss.

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)·2025
Same author

Nanoscale restructuring of the immune synapse with an engager enhances NK cell function.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

CD8α and CD70 mark human natural killer cell populations which differ in cytotoxicity.

Frontiers in immunology·2025
Same author

High-dimensional single-cell analysis of human natural killer cell heterogeneity.

Nature immunology·2024
Same author

Fatty acid oxidation fuels natural killer cell responses against infection and cancer.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2024
Same author

Do inhibitory receptors need to be proximal to stimulatory receptors to function?

Genes and immunity·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse
09:37

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Published on: December 26, 2019

16.0K

The immune synapse clears and excludes molecules above a size threshold.

Adam N R Cartwright1, Jeremy Griggs2, Daniel M Davis3

  • 11] Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Manchester, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester M13 9NT, UK [2] Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.

Nature Communications
|November 20, 2014
PubMed
Summary

The immune synapse acts as a size-selective barrier, excluding larger molecules like antibodies. This finding is crucial for developing targeted therapies that can effectively penetrate the immune synapse.

More Related Videos

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

12.0K
Assessing the Expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I on Primary Murine Hippocampal Neurons by Flow Cytometry
08:07

Assessing the Expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I on Primary Murine Hippocampal Neurons by Flow Cytometry

Published on: May 19, 2020

4.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse
09:37

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Published on: December 26, 2019

16.0K
Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy
11:02

Presynaptically Silent Synapses Studied with Light Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2010

12.0K
Assessing the Expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I on Primary Murine Hippocampal Neurons by Flow Cytometry
08:07

Assessing the Expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I on Primary Murine Hippocampal Neurons by Flow Cytometry

Published on: May 19, 2020

4.1K

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells interact with target cells at the immune synapse (IS) for signal integration and secretion.
  • The IS's role as a physical barrier or gasket has not been fully explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether the immune synapse functions as a size-selective gasket.
  • To determine the size threshold for molecular exclusion at the IS.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative fluorescence microscopy was used to analyze nanometer-scale dextrans within synapses.
  • Effector-target cell conjugates were formed and analyzed for molecular exclusion.
  • The effect of F-actin depolymerization on molecular exclusion was assessed.

Main Results:

  • The IS excludes molecules in a size-dependent manner, with significant reduction for dextrans ≥10-13 nm and near-complete exclusion for dextrans ≥32 nm.
  • F-actin depolymerization abrogated this size-exclusion.
  • Larger dextrans were cleared as the IS assembled in a zipper-like fashion.
  • Monoclonal antibodies were excluded, while smaller single-domain antibodies could penetrate the IS.

Conclusions:

  • The immune synapse acts as a size-selective barrier, excluding molecules above a certain size threshold.
  • Drug design targeting synaptic cytokines or cytotoxic proteins must consider these size limitations for effective penetration.