Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 8, 2026

An Endothelial Planar Cell Model for Imaging Immunological Synapse Dynamics
09:25

An Endothelial Planar Cell Model for Imaging Immunological Synapse Dynamics

Published on: December 24, 2015

Immunological synapse formation licenses CD40-CD40L accumulations at T-APC contact sites

Judie Boisvert1, Samuel Edmondson, Matthew F Krummel

  • 1Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

Journal of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)
|September 10, 2004
PubMed

Insights

T cells direct immune help specifically by concentrating CD40-CD154 molecules at the immunological synapse after T cell receptor recognition. This ensures targeted T cell "help" is delivered only to the correct antigen-presenting cells (APCs).

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • T cell tolerance relies on specific interactions with antigen-presenting cells (APCs).
  • The immunological synapse forms at the T cell-APC interface, concentrating key signaling molecules.
  • T cell receptor (TCR) clustering is crucial for initiating T cell activation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the localization and regulation of the CD40-CD154 receptor-ligand pair during T cell activation.
  • To determine the role of TCR recognition and cellular mechanics in CD40-CD154 polarization.
  • To elucidate the contribution of CD40-CD154 concentration to the specificity of T cell help.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized mouse lymphocytes and APCs in in vitro co-culture systems.
  • Employing advanced microscopy techniques to visualize molecular dynamics within the immunological synapse.
  • Investigated the dependency of CD40-CD154 localization on TCR signaling, ICAM-1/integrin binding, and cytoskeletal integrity.

Main Results:

  • The CD40-CD154 receptor-ligand pair concentrates in the central immunological synapse (c-SMAC) post-TCR/CD3 complex formation.
  • CD40-CD154 concentration is critically dependent on TCR recognition, ICAM-1/integrin engagement, and intact T cell cytoskeleton.
  • This polarization mechanism provides a novel explanation for the specificity of T cell-mediated help.

Conclusions:

  • CD40-CD154 polarization at the immunological synapse ensures targeted delivery of T cell help.
  • This process enhances the specificity of immune responses by directing signals to the site of antigen recognition.
  • The synapse serves as a platform for co-localization and potential co-internalization of signaling receptor aggregates.

More Related Videos

Measurement of T Cell Alloreactivity Using Imaging Flow Cytometry09:04

Measurement of T Cell Alloreactivity Using Imaging Flow Cytometry

Published on: April 19, 2017

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse09:37

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Published on: December 26, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules01:31

Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules

Immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules or Ig-CAMs are a versatile group of cell surface glycoproteins belonging to the immunoglobulin protein superfamily. Ig-CAMs possess the characteristic immunoglobulin protein domains and other domains such as the fibronectin type III domain. The Ig domains are glycosylated to varying degrees in different Ig-CAMs.
Ig-CAMs exhibit either homophilic binding (to other Ig-CAMs) or heterophilic binding (to other ligands such as integrins). While most Ig-CAMs...
Antigen Presenting Cells01:22

Antigen Presenting Cells

The immune system is a complex network of cells and molecules that protects the body from foreign invaders. T cells, a type of white blood cell, play a crucial role in this process. They recognize and attack foreign substances, such as pathogens, that enter the body.
T cells require the help of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which process foreign antigens into smaller fragments that can be recognized by T cells. These APCs are highly specialized cells that efficiently internalize antigens...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

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

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

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...
B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

B Cell Activation and Differentiation

The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...