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

4.6K
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...
4.6K
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

2.0K
Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
2.0K
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

1.4K
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...
1.4K
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

2.7K
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...
2.7K
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

2.8K
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...
2.8K
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

72.5K
Overview
72.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Quantitative Mapping of the Lipid Nanoenvironment around Transmembrane Proteins in Living Cells.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

Refractive Index Mapping below the Diffraction Limit via Single Molecule Localization Microscopy.

ACS nano·2025
Same author

Measuring Molecular Forces With Atomic Force Microscopy 1: Solvent Influence on Hydrophobic Interactions.

Microscopy research and technique·2025
Same author

Noninvasive Cell Population Profiling of Normal and Dysplastic Cervical Biofluids by Multicolor Flow Cytometry as a Promising Tool for Companion Diagnostics.

Cancers·2025
Same author

Surface Symphony: Orchestrating DPPC/DOPC Monolayer Behavior.

Microscopy research and technique·2025
Same author

Cathepsin L-dependent positive selection shapes clonal composition and functional fitness of CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells.

Nature immunology·2025
Same journal

PCSK5 promotes angiogenesis and cardiac repair after myocardial infarction.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

PfApiAT2 is a proline transporter essential for the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum by the mosquito vector.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Transient distortions of the South Atlantic Anomaly radiation environments driven by electric fields.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Structural basis of the regulation by CDK11 kinase of early spliceosome activation and evidence for its proofreading by DHX15 helicase.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Structural and mechanistic insights into primer synthesis initiation by DNA primase.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Changes in heritability and shared environmentality of educational attainment across twentieth-century Norway.

Nature communications·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 11, 2025

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

6.3K

CD4+T-cells create a stable mechanical environment for force-sensitive TCR:pMHC interactions.

Lukas Schrangl1,2, Florian Kellner3,4, René Platzer3,5

  • 1Department of Bionanosciences, Institute of Biophysics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.

Nature Communications
|August 15, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mechanical forces on T-cell receptors (TCR) are lower than expected and rarely impact T-cell antigen recognition. The immunological synapse stabilizes to prevent these forces from interfering with T-cell responses.

More Related Videos

A TIRF Microscopy Technique for Real-time, Simultaneous Imaging of the TCR and its Associated Signaling Proteins
16:10

A TIRF Microscopy Technique for Real-time, Simultaneous Imaging of the TCR and its Associated Signaling Proteins

Published on: March 22, 2012

24.0K
Measuring TCR-pMHC Binding In Situ using a FRET-based Microscopy Assay
19:05

Measuring TCR-pMHC Binding In Situ using a FRET-based Microscopy Assay

Published on: October 30, 2015

12.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 11, 2025

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

6.3K
A TIRF Microscopy Technique for Real-time, Simultaneous Imaging of the TCR and its Associated Signaling Proteins
16:10

A TIRF Microscopy Technique for Real-time, Simultaneous Imaging of the TCR and its Associated Signaling Proteins

Published on: March 22, 2012

24.0K
Measuring TCR-pMHC Binding In Situ using a FRET-based Microscopy Assay
19:05

Measuring TCR-pMHC Binding In Situ using a FRET-based Microscopy Assay

Published on: October 30, 2015

12.5K

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Mechanical forces on T-cell receptors (TCR) are thought to influence T-cell antigen recognition and discrimination.
  • However, the precise magnitude, frequency, and impact of these forces remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively assess forces experienced by various T-cell receptor:pMHC pairs at single-molecule resolution.
  • To investigate the role of these forces before and during T-cell activation, considering platforms with and without tangential force registration.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized glass-supported lipid bilayers presenting pMHC, conjugated to a molecular force sensor.
  • Incorporated adhesion and costimulatory molecules to engage approaching T-cells.
  • Measured forces at single-molecule resolution across different TCR:pMHC pairs with varying bond lifetimes.

Main Results:

  • CD4+ T-cell TCRs experience significantly lower forces than previously estimated.
  • Only a small fraction of ligand-engaged TCRs encounter these forces during antigen scanning.
  • These infrequent and minor mechanical forces do not affect the overall TCR:ligand bond lifetime.

Conclusions:

  • The immunological synapse provides a stable biophysical environment.
  • This stability prevents mechanical forces from disrupting antigen recognition by T-cells.