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Updated: Nov 18, 2025
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Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse
Published on: December 26, 2019
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Immune synapse instructs epigenomic and transcriptomic functional reprogramming in dendritic cells.
Ana Alcaraz-Serna1,2, Eugenio Bustos-Morán1,2, Irene Fernández-Delgado1,2
1Immunology Department, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Science Advances
|February 4, 2021
Summary
Dendritic cells (DCs) change their gene expression and epigenetics after interacting with T cells. These postsynaptic DCs exhibit enhanced migration capabilities, revealing a new DC subset with altered functions.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Epigenetics
Background:
- The fate of dendritic cells (DCs) post-T cell interaction is understudied.
- Focus has been on T cell activation and memory, neglecting DC changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transcriptomic and epigenomic changes in DCs after forming immune synapses with T cells.
- To characterize the functional consequences of these changes, particularly migratory capacity.
Main Methods:
- Transcriptomic analysis to identify gene expression changes in postsynaptic DCs.
- Epigenomic profiling (DNA accessibility, histone methylation) to understand regulatory mechanisms.
- In vitro migration assays and in vivo homing studies to assess cell movement.
Main Results:
- Postsynaptic DCs display a distinct transcriptomic signature compared to resting DCs.
- Epigenomic modifications, including altered DNA accessibility and histone methylation, accompany transcriptomic shifts.
- Expression of the chemokine receptor Ccr7 is upregulated in postsynaptic DCs.
- These DCs show increased in vitro migration towards CCL19 and enhanced homing to lymph nodes in vivo.
Conclusions:
- Dendritic cells undergo significant transcriptomic and epigenomic reprogramming after engaging with T cells.
- This reprogramming results in a functionally distinct DC population with enhanced migratory properties.
- Identifies a novel subset of postsynaptic DCs with altered migratory capacity crucial for immune responses.
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