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The adaptive immune response is initiated by the interaction of T cell antigen receptors with major histocompatibility complex molecule-peptide complexes in the nanometer scale gap between a T cell and an antigen-presenting cell, referred to as an immunological synapse. In this review we focus on the concept of immunological synapse formation as it relates to membrane structure, T cell polarity, signaling pathways, and the antigen-presenting cell. Membrane domains provide an organizational principle for compartmentalization within the immunological synapse. T cell polarization by chemokines increases T cell sensitivity to antigen. The current model is that signaling and formation of the immunological synapse are tightly interwoven in mature T cells. We also extend this model to natural killer cell activation, where the inhibitory NK synapse provides a striking example in which inhibition of signaling leaves the synapse in its nascent, inverted state. The APC may also play an active role in immunological synapse formation, particularly for activation of naïve T cells.

Original publication

DOI

10.1146/annurev.immunol.19.1.375

Type

Journal article

Journal

Annu rev immunol

Publication Date

2001

Volume

19

Pages

375 - 396

Keywords

Animals, Antigen Presentation, Cell Adhesion, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Cell Communication, Cell Membrane, Cell Polarity, Chemokines, Cholera Toxin, Immunologic Capping, Killer Cells, Natural, Lymphocyte Activation, Membrane Microdomains, Mice, Models, Immunological, Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell, Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, Receptors, Chemokine, Receptors, Immunologic, Signal Transduction, T-Lymphocyte Subsets