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Studying Organelle Dynamics in B Cells During Immune Synapse Formation

Studying Organelle Dynamics in B Cells During Immune Synapse Formation

Published on: June 1, 2019

Studying Organelle Dynamics in B Cells During Immune Synapse Formation

Jorge Ibañez-Vega¹, Danitza Fuentes¹, Jonathan Lagos²

¹Laboratory of Immune Cell Biology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove

|June 18, 2019

Insights

B cells form an immune synapse (IS) to capture antigens. This process involves actin remodeling and organelle movement, crucial for B cell activation and antigen presentation.

Area of Science:

Immunology
Cell Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

B cell receptor (BCR) recognition of surface antigens initiates immune synapse (IS) formation.
IS formation coordinates B cell signaling and antigen uptake through actin remodeling and organelle polarization.
Lysosome recruitment and secretion can aid antigen extraction from rigid surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of intracellular organelle dynamics during B cell immune synapse formation.
To understand how cytoskeleton rearrangements influence B cell activation and antigen processing.
To explore techniques for studying organelle positioning and actin dynamics in B cells.

Main Methods:

Imaging techniques to visualize organelle positioning and cytoskeleton rearrangements.
Biochemical methods to analyze changes associated with immune synapse formation.
Studying B cells recognizing surface-tethered antigens.

Main Results:

Actin remodeling increases B cell surface area for enhanced antigen-BCR complex capture.
Polarized recruitment of centrosomes, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus to the synaptic membrane.
Antigen processing occurs in endo-lysosome compartments for MHC-II presentation.

Conclusions:

Understanding organelle dynamics during IS formation is critical for deciphering B cell activation pathways.
Cytoskeleton rearrangements are integral to efficient antigen uptake and presentation.
The study highlights imaging and biochemical approaches for investigating IS-associated cellular processes.

Read full analysis

Abstract:

Recognition of surface-tethered antigens by the B cell receptor (BCR) triggers the formation of an immune synapse (IS), where both signaling and antigen uptake are coordinated. IS formation involves dynamic actin remodeling accompanied by the polarized recruitment to the synaptic membrane of the centrosome and associated intracellular organelles such as lysosomes and the Golgi apparatus. Initial stages of actin remodeling allow B cells to increase their cell surface and maximize the quantity of antigen-BCR complexes gathered at the synapse. Under certain conditions, when B cells recognize antigens associated to rigid surfaces, this process is coupled to the local recruitment and secretion of lysosomes, which can facilitate antigen extraction. Uptaken antigens are internalized into specialized endo-lysosome compartments for processing into peptides, which are loaded onto major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) molecules for further presentation to T helper cells. Therefore, studying organelle dynamics associated with the formation of an IS is crucial to understanding how B cells are activated. In the present article we will discuss both imaging and a biochemical technique used to study changes in intracellular organelle positioning and cytoskeleton rearrangements that are associated with the formation of an IS in B cells.

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