Building the immunological synapse - toward a quantitative view of T cell activation
Dustin ML., Bromley SK., Grakoui A., Allen P., Sumen C., Davis M., Shaw AS.
A model system has been developed to study the role of segregation in T cell activation. The system involves the formation of an immunological synapse that is quantitatively visualized in real time. Supported planar bilayers were prepared with fluorescently labeled MHC-peptide complexes and adhesion molecules. Molecular segregation of engaged MHC-peptide and ICAM-1 complexes was strongly correlated with T cell proliferation. These data support the hypothesis that molecular segregation is important for T cell signaling.