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Mechanics of antigen extraction in the B cell synapse

Katelyn M Spillane1, Pavel Tolar2

  • 1Department of Physics, King's College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK; Immune Receptor Activation Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK; Division of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.

Molecular Immunology
|July 24, 2018
PubMed

B cell encounter with antigen displayed on antigen-presenting cells leads to B cell immune synapse formation, internalisation of the antigen, and stimulation of antibody responses. The sensitivity with which B cells detect antigen, and the quality and quantity of antigen that B cells acquire, depend upon mechanical properties of the immune synapse including interfacial tension, the strength of intermolecular bonds, and the compliance of the molecules and membranes that participate in antigen presentation. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of how these various physical parameters influence B cell antigen extraction in the immune synapse and how a more comprehensive understanding of B cell mechanics may promote the development of new approaches to stimulate the production of desired antibodies.

Keywords:
Antigen extractionAntigen presentationB cell activationImmune synapseMechanobiology

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