title: Impact of the immunological synapse on T cell signaling.
abstract: T cell activation requires interactions of T cell antigen receptors and peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex molecules in an adhesive junction between the T cell and antigen-presenting cell (APC). Stable junctions with bull's-eye supramolecular activation clusters have been defined as immunological synapses (IS). These structures maintain T cell-APC interaction and allow directed secretion. T cells can also be activated by asymmetric hemisynapses (HS) that allow migration during signal integration. IS and HS dominate in different stages of T cell priming. Optimal effector functions may also depend upon cyclical use of IS and HS.
authors.affiliation: Program in Molecular Pathogenesis, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, NY 10016, USA. dustin@saturn.med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dustin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018448:Models, Immunological; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell