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Updated: May 25, 2026
Supported Planar Bilayers for the Formation of Study of Immunological Synapses and Kinapse
Published on: September 15, 2008
DNA origami-bilayer systems for dissecting the nanoscale antigen landscape in B cell immune synapse formation
Yuchen Hou1, Chung-Yi Tseng2, Raysa Orin3
1Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
The recognition of antigens by B cells is the initial step in the humoral response leading to antibody production and antibody-mediated immunological memory. The majority of antigens encountered by B cells are presented in a membrane-tethered format on antigen presenting cells (APCs). Antigen-specific recognition by B cell receptors triggers the formation of an immunological synapse (IS) via a spreading and contraction response. This is critical in driving affinity discrimination and maturation by modulating the amount of antigen internalized and presented to acquire T cell help. The interaction between B cells and APCs is mimicked in vitro by planar lipid bilayers (PLBs), which have been used to reveal the importance of biophysical properties such as antigen mobility and density in triggering B cell activation. With the advent of DNA origami enabling precise control over antigen display with nanometer precision, further dissection of spatial requirements underlying IS formation is now possible. To this end, here we describe how to generate DNA origami nanogrids, attach them to PLBs in two different housing systems, and use them to stimulate B cell IS formation.
The recognition of antigens by B cells is the initial step in the humoral response leading to antibody production and antibody-mediated immunological memory. The majority of antigens encountered by B cells are presented in a membrane-tethered format on antigen presenting cells (APCs). Antigen-specific recognition by B cell receptors triggers the formation of an immunological synapse (IS) via a spreading and contraction response. This is critical in driving affinity discrimination and maturation by modulating the amount of antigen internalized and presented to acquire T cell help. The interaction between B cells and APCs is mimicked in vitro by planar lipid bilayers (PLBs), which have been used to reveal the importance of biophysical properties such as antigen mobility and density in triggering B cell activation. With the advent of DNA origami enabling precise control over antigen display with nanometer precision, further dissection of spatial requirements underlying IS formation is now possible. To this end, here we describe how to generate DNA origami nanogrids, attach them to PLBs in two different housing systems, and use them to stimulate B cell IS formation.
