Immunological synapses arise at contact zones between antigen-presenting cells and T cells. Synapses have distinct organization and are composed of T cell receptors interacting with major histocompatibility complex-peptide entities surrounded by various potentiating coreceptors and signaling molecules that migrate into the synapse through cytoskeleton-dependent processes. Krummel et al. have extended initial studies in lipid bilayers to explore the architecture and the extraordinary dynamics of immunological synapse formation by real-time video microscopy of whole cells containing green fluorescent protein chimeras.
Krummel, M.F., Sjaastad. M.D., Wülfing, C., and David, M.M. (2000) Differential clustering of CD4 and CD3ζ during T cell recognition. Science 289: 1349-1352. [Abstract] [Full Text]
