title: Identification of self through two-dimensional chemistry and synapses.
abstract: Cells in the immune and nervous systems communicate through informational synapses. The two-dimensional chemistry underlying the process of synapse formation is beginning to be explored using fluorescence imaging and mechanical techniques. Early analysis of two-dimensional kinetic rates (k(on) and k(off)) and equilibrium constants (K(d)) provides a number of biological insights. First, there are two regimes for adhesion-one disordered with slow k(on) and the other self-ordered with 10(4)-fold faster k(on). Despite huge variation in two-dimensional k(on), the two-dimensional k(off) is like k(off) in solution, and two-dimensional k(off) is more closely related to intrinsic properties of the interaction than the two-dimensional k(on). Thus difference in k(off) can be used to set signaling thresholds. Early signaling complexes are compartmentalized to generate synergistic signaling domains. Immune antigen receptor components have a role in neural synapse editing. This suggests significant parallels in informational synapse formation based on common two-dimensional chemistry and signaling strategies.
authors.affiliation: Skirball Institute of Molecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA. dustin@saturn.med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dustin
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bromley
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002450:Cell Communication; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D017634:Self Tolerance; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013569:Synapses / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens