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Updated: Aug 27, 2026
Mapping the Emergent Spatial Organization of Mammalian Cells using Micropatterns and Quantitative Imaging
Published on: April 30, 2019
Dynamic micropatterning uncovers spatial dynamics of B cell immune synapse formation
Blanca Tejeda-González1,2,3, Sara Hernández-Pérez1,2,3, Elmeri Kiviluoto1,2,3
1Institute of Biomedicine and MediCity Research Laboratories, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
In the process of mounting humoral immune responses, B cells typically engage antigens on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) via the immunological synapse (IS). To study this critical cell interaction structure, we developed a dynamic micropatterning technique that models IS formation with precise spatial and temporal control. This method enables imaging of B cells before and after B cell antigen receptor (BCR) engagement, in fixed and live samples. We analyzed BCR-proximal signaling in A20 D1.3 mouse B cells and found distinct spatial distribution preferences for different signaling proteins. Also, the size and shape of the initial non-activatory adhesion modulated the signaling outcome. We visualized the formation of the IS in living cells using enhanced-resolution microscopy in 3D. We identified different cell behaviors during this process, including the repurposing of pre-existing actin-based protrusions as ready-made building blocks for the IS. Overall, dynamic micropatterning provides powerful insights into the rapid, early steps of IS formation with remarkable spatial and temporal resolution.
In the process of mounting humoral immune responses, B cells typically engage antigens on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) via the immunological synapse (IS). To study this critical cell interaction structure, we developed a dynamic micropatterning technique that models IS formation with precise spatial and temporal control. This method enables imaging of B cells before and after B cell antigen receptor (BCR) engagement, in fixed and live samples. We analyzed BCR-proximal signaling in A20 D1.3 mouse B cells and found distinct spatial distribution preferences for different signaling proteins. Also, the size and shape of the initial non-activatory adhesion modulated the signaling outcome. We visualized the formation of the IS in living cells using enhanced-resolution microscopy in 3D. We identified different cell behaviors during this process, including the repurposing of pre-existing actin-based protrusions as ready-made building blocks for the IS. Overall, dynamic micropatterning provides powerful insights into the rapid, early steps of IS formation with remarkable spatial and temporal resolution.
