Cutting edge: the dendritic cell cytoskeleton is critical for the formation of the immunological synapse

MM Al-Alwan, G Rowden, TDG Lee… - The journal of …, 2001 - journals.aai.org
MM Al-Alwan, G Rowden, TDG Lee, KA West
The journal of immunology, 2001journals.aai.org
The binding of a T cell to an APC results in T cell actin cytoskeletal rearrangement leading to
the formation of an immunological synapse. The APC cytoskeleton has been thought to play
a passive role in this process. In this study, we demonstrate that dendritic cells (DC), unlike
other APC, actively polarize their actin cytoskeleton during interaction with T cells. DC
cytoskeletal rearrangement was critical for both the clustering and the activation of resting T
cells. This study provides compelling evidence that the APC cytoskeleton plays an active …
Abstract
The binding of a T cell to an APC results in T cell actin cytoskeletal rearrangement leading to the formation of an immunological synapse. The APC cytoskeleton has been thought to play a passive role in this process. In this study, we demonstrate that dendritic cells (DC), unlike other APC, actively polarize their actin cytoskeleton during interaction with T cells. DC cytoskeletal rearrangement was critical for both the clustering and the activation of resting T cells. This study provides compelling evidence that the APC cytoskeleton plays an active role in the immunological synapse and may explain the unique ability of DC to activate resting T cells.
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