Tuning immune responses: diversity and adaptation of the immunological synapse.
The onset and regulation of a specific immune response results from communication between T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which form molecular interactions at the site of cell-cell contact--and this is known as the immunological synapse. Initially, the immunological synapse was viewed as a stereotypical adhesion and signalling device with a defined molecular structure and signalling processes. However, as we discuss here, T-cell-APC interactions comprise a diverse range of contact modes and distinct molecular arrangements. These diverse interaction modes might define a molecular code, in which the differences in timing, spacing and molecular composition of the signalling platform determine the outcome of T-cell-APC interactions.
Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine and Department of Dermatology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany. peter.fr@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
Peter
P
Friedl
Annemieke Th
AT
den Boer
Matthias
M
Gunzer
D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002465:Cell Movement; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*