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

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

691
T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
691
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

2.6K
In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
2.6K
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

963
When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
963
Mechanical Protein Functions01:58

Mechanical Protein Functions

4.9K
Proteins perform many mechanical functions in a cell. These proteins can be classified into two general categories- proteins that generate mechanical forces and proteins that are subjected to mechanical forces. Proteins providing mechanical support to the structure of the cell, such as keratin, are subjected to mechanical force, whereas proteins involved in cell movement and transport of molecules across cell membranes, such as an ion pump, are examples of generating mechanical force. 
4.9K
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

2.6K
The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin...
2.6K
Activation of Integrins01:15

Activation of Integrins

3.3K
Integrins bind ligands and transmit information from outside the cell to inside or vice-versa through an "outside-in signaling" or "inside-out signaling."
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding...
3.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Force patterning drives quasistratification and graded tissue-scale spatial order in auditory epithelia.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Resolving the mechanical paradox of myelination.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Metabolic profiling of steatotic liver disease by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy.

Communications medicine·2026
Same author

Actin waves guide an outward movement of microclusters in the lymphocyte immunological synapse.

EMBO reports·2025
Same author

Protocol for lattice light-sheet time-lapse imaging of early post-implantation mouse embryos.

STAR protocols·2025
Same author

Junctional force patterning drives both positional order and planar polarity in the auditory epithelia.

Nature communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Traction Force Microscopy to Study B Lymphocyte Activation
09:28

Traction Force Microscopy to Study B Lymphocyte Activation

Published on: July 23, 2020

6.1K

Mechanical force matters in early T cell activation.

Marco Fritzsche1,2, Karsten Kruse3,4

  • 1Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX37FY, United Kingdom.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|September 6, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Mechanical force influences T cell activation by affecting T cell receptor (TCR) bond lifetime and phosphorylation. Oscillatory forces and TCR rigidity are key factors in T cell signaling and self-nonself discrimination.

Keywords:
T cell activationTCRcatch bondmechanical forceself–nonself discrimination

More Related Videos

Spatial and Temporal Control of T Cell Activation Using a Photoactivatable Agonist
07:48

Spatial and Temporal Control of T Cell Activation Using a Photoactivatable Agonist

Published on: April 25, 2018

6.2K
Functionalization of Atomic Force Microscope Cantilevers with Single-T Cells or Single-Particle for Immunological Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy
10:06

Functionalization of Atomic Force Microscope Cantilevers with Single-T Cells or Single-Particle for Immunological Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy

Published on: July 10, 2019

7.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Traction Force Microscopy to Study B Lymphocyte Activation
09:28

Traction Force Microscopy to Study B Lymphocyte Activation

Published on: July 23, 2020

6.1K
Spatial and Temporal Control of T Cell Activation Using a Photoactivatable Agonist
07:48

Spatial and Temporal Control of T Cell Activation Using a Photoactivatable Agonist

Published on: April 25, 2018

6.2K
Functionalization of Atomic Force Microscope Cantilevers with Single-T Cells or Single-Particle for Immunological Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy
10:06

Functionalization of Atomic Force Microscope Cantilevers with Single-T Cells or Single-Particle for Immunological Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy

Published on: July 10, 2019

7.3K

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Biophysics
  • Cellular Mechanics

Background:

  • Mechanical force is increasingly recognized for its role in T cell activation.
  • The precise mechanisms by which mechanical force impacts T cell receptor (TCR) signaling are still under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how mechanical forces between T cells and antigen-presenting cells influence TCR-MHC interactions during early T cell activation.
  • To provide a theoretical perspective on the role of mechanical force in TCR signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis of T cell-APC interactions.
  • Modeling of TCR-MHC bond dynamics under mechanical stress.

Main Results:

  • TCR bond lifetime and subsequent phosphorylation depend on TCR rigidity and applied oscillatory forces.
  • Forces generated by microvilli and invadosomes can modulate TCR bond dynamics.
  • Mechanical forces may play a role in T cell's ability to distinguish self from non-self antigens.

Conclusions:

  • Mechanical forces significantly impact TCR signaling by modulating TCR bond stability and duration.
  • T cell activation and discrimination processes appear to be mechanosensitive.
  • Further research into the biophysics of T cell activation is warranted.