title: Simultaneous Membrane Capacitance Measurements and TIRF Microscopy to Study Granule Trafficking at Immune Synapses.
abstract: Whole-cell capacitance measurements allow the direct measurement of exocytosis with high temporal resolution. An added benefit of the whole-cell configuration is the possibility to control the cytosolic free calcium concentration allowing examination of the role of intracellular calcium in a variety of processes. We have coupled this method with imaging of cytotoxic granule release using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) to identify the capacitance steps associated with cytotoxic granule release identified by TIRFM. This requires the use of fluorescent granule markers to identify cytotoxic granules and allows characterization of cytotoxic granule fusion and of the behavior of cytotoxic granules at the immune synapse prior to fusion. Combination of these methods enables the study of a number of processes relevant to the function of the immune synapse.
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Universität des Saarlandes, Building 48, Homburg/Saar, 66421, Germany.
authors.forename: Marwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sleiman
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Universität des Saarlandes, Building 48, Homburg/Saar, 66421, Germany.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Universität des Saarlandes, Building 48, Homburg/Saar, 66421, Germany. jrettig@uks.eu.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rettig
mesh_terms: D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000276:immunology*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000276:immunology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology*; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D054992:Immunological Synapses / Q000276:immunology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium
keywords: Capacitance measurements; Cytotoxic T lymphocytes; Cytotoxic granules; Exocytosis; TIRF microscopy