Live cell linear dichroism imaging reveals extensive membrane ruffling within the docking structure of natural killer cell immune synapses.
We have applied fluorescence imaging of two-photon linear dichroism to measure the subresolution organization of the cell membrane during formation of the activating (cytolytic) natural killer (NK) cell immune synapse (IS). This approach revealed that the NK cell plasma membrane is convoluted into ruffles at the periphery, but not in the center of a mature cytolytic NK cell IS. Time-lapse imaging showed that the membrane ruffles formed at the initial point of contact between NK cells and target cells and then spread radialy across the intercellular contact as the size of the IS increased, becoming absent from the center of the mature synapse. Understanding the role of such extensive membrane ruffling in the assembly of cytolytic synapses is an intriguing new goal.
Benninger
Richard K P
RK
Vanherberghen
Bruno
B
Young
Stephen
S
Taner
Sabrina B
SB
Culley
Fiona J
FJ
Schnyder
Tim
T
Neil
Mark A A
MA
Wüstner
Daniel
D
French
Paul M W
PM
Davis
Daniel M
DM
Onfelt
Björn
B
D000465:Algorithms; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D022162:Cytoplasmic Vesicles / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005453:Fluorescence; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D054992:Immunological Synapses / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D054342:Receptors, KIR2DL1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012984:Software
D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; C528994:HLA-C*06 antigen; D054342:Receptors, KIR2DL1