title: T cell receptor signaling precedes immunological synapse formation.
abstract: The area of contact between a T cell and an antigen-presenting cell (APC) is known as the immunological synapse. Although its exact function is unknown, one model suggests that it allows for T cell receptor (TCR) clustering and for sustained signaling in T cells for many hours. Here we demonstrate that TCR-mediated tyrosine kinase signaling in naïve T cells occurred primarily at the periphery of the synapse and was largely abated before mature immunological synapses had formed. These data suggest that many hours of TCR signaling are not required for T cell activation. These observations challenge current ideas about the role of immunological synapses in T cell activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, Box 8118, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Kyeong-Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Amy D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Holdorf
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dustin
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Andrey S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004705:Endocytosis; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck) / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011940:Receptor Aggregation; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D051746:ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase
chemical_list: D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D010455:Peptides; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); D051746:ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase; C497262:Zap70 protein, mouse