title: The dendritic cell cytoskeleton is critical for the formation of the immunological synapse.
abstract: The binding of a T cell to an APC results in T cell actin cytoskeletal rearrangement leading to the formation of an immunological synapse. The APC cytoskeleton has been thought to play a passive role in this process. In this study, we demonstrate that dendritic cells (DC), unlike other APC, actively polarize their actin cytoskeleton during interaction with T cells. DC cytoskeletal rearrangement was critical for both the clustering and the activation of resting T cells. This study provides compelling evidence that the APC cytoskeleton plays an active role in the immunological synapse and may explain the unique ability of DC to activate resting T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Al-Alwan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rowden
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007399:Interphase / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D015638:Cytochalasin D