Faculty Bibliography

The immunological synapse has been an area of very active scientific interest over the last decade. Surprisingly, much about the synapse remains unknown or is controversial. Here we review some of these current issues in the field: how the synapse is defined, its potential role in T-cell function, and our current understanding about how the synapse is formed

Cholesterol- and glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane lipid microdomains, frequently called lipid rafts, are thought to play an important role in the spatial and temporal organization of immunological synapses. Higher ordering of lipid acyl chains was suggested for these entities and imaging of membrane order in living cells during activation can therefore help to understand the mechanisms responsible for the supramolecular organization of molecules involved in the activation of T cells. Here, we employ the phase-sensitive membrane dye di-4-ANEPPDHQ together with a variety of spectrally-resolved microscopy techniques, including 2-channel ratiometric TIRF microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging, to characterize membrane order at the T cell immunological synapse at high spatial and temporal resolution in live cells at physiological temperature. We find that higher membrane order resides at the immunological synapse periphery where proximal signalling through the immunoreceptors and accessory proteins in microclusters has previously been shown to take place. The observed spatial patterning of membrane order in the immunological synapse depends on active receptor signalling

In this study, we imaged the differentiation and migratory behavior of nascent plasma cells (PCs) in mouse lymph nodes by intravital microscopy. Pre-PCs exhibited a unique migration pattern characterized by long, linear paths that were randomly oriented. Although chemotaxis via Galphai coupled-receptors has been implicated in PC migration, treatment with Pertussis toxin (Ptx), which ablates these signals, did not prevent movement of pre-PCs while it arrested other lymphocytes. In vitro, pre-PCs displayed processive amoeboid locomotion on surfaces coated with integrin ligand, whereas fully differentiated PCs moved slowly or were arrested. Both PC arrest and differentiation occurred in the medullary cords. Ptx treatment before PC differentiation blocked their accumulation in the medullary cords but pre-PCs still differentiated in other lymph node regions. Taken together, we suggest pre-PCs undergo a persistent random walk to find the medullary cords, where localized chemokines help retain these cells until they undergo differentiation and arrest in situ

Recruitment of CCR2(+)Ly6C(high) monocytes to sites of infection is essential for efficient clearance of microbial pathogens. Although CCR2-mediated signals promote monocyte emigration from bone marrow, the contribution of CCR2 to later stages of monocyte recruitment remains unresolved. In this article, we show that CCR2 deficiency markedly worsens hepatic Listeria monocytogenes infection because Ly6C(high) monocytes are retained in the bone marrow. Intravenously transferred, CCR2-deficient Ly6C(high) monocytes traffic normally to hepatic foci of infection and contribute to bacterial clearance. Pertussis toxin treatment of adoptively transferred monocytes does not impair their intrahepatic trafficking, suggesting that chemokine signaling, once CCR2(+)Ly6C(high) monocytes emigrate from the bone marrow, is not required for monocyte localization to sites of bacterial infection in the liver. Expression of ICAM-1 is induced in close proximity to foci of bacterial infection in the liver, including on CD31(+) endothelial cells, and blockade of CD11b and CD44 diminishes monocyte localization to these hepatic foci. Our studies demonstrated that Ly6C(high) monocyte recruitment from the bloodstream to the L. monocytogenes-infected liver does not require chemokine receptor-mediated signals but instead is principally dependent on integrin- and extracellular matrix-mediated monocyte adhesion.

Like T cell activation, B cell activation is driven by aggregation of B cell receptors (BCRs) into microclusters. New work suggests that the early dynamics of BCR mobility and microcluster formation 'translate' BCR affinity for antigen into B cell responsiveness

The virological synapse (VS) is a tight adhesive junction between an HIV-infected cell and an uninfected target cell, across which virus can be efficiently transferred from cell to cell in the absence of cell-cell fusion. The VS has been postulated to resemble, in its morphology, the well-studied immunological synapse (IS). This review article discusses the structural similarities between IS and VS and the shared T cell receptor (TCR) signaling components that are found in the VS. However, the IS and the VS display distinct kinetics in disassembly and intracellular signaling events, possibly leading to different biological outcomes. Hence, HIV-1 exploits molecular components of IS and TCR signaling machinery to trigger unique changes in cellular morphology, migration, and activation that facilitate its transmission and cell-to-cell spread

One of the most fundamental activities of the adaptive immune system is to kill infected cells and tumor cells. Two distinct pathways mediate this process, both of which are facilitated by a cytotoxic immunological synapse. While traditionally thought of as innate immune cells, natural killer (NK) cells are now appreciated to have the capacity for long-term adaptation to chemical and viral insults. These cells integrate multiple positive and negative signals through NK cell cytotoxic or inhibitory synapses. The traditional CD8(+)alphabeta T-cell receptor-positive cells are among the best models for the concept of an immunological synapse, in which vectoral signaling is linked to directed secretion in a stable interface to induce apoptotic cell death in an infected cell. Large-scale molecular organization in synapses generated a number of hypotheses. Studies in the past 5 years have started to provide clear answers regarding the validity of these models. In vivo imaging approaches have provided some hints as to the physiologic relevance of these processes with great promise for the future. This review provides an overview of work on cytotoxic immunological synapses and suggests pathways forward in applying this information to the development of therapeutic agents

Agonist MHC-peptide complexes in the immunological synapse (IS) signal through T cell receptor (TCR) microclusters (MCs) that converge into a central supramolecular activation cluster (cSMAC). The determinants and function of the cSMAC remain unknown. We demonstrate an essential role for ubiquitin (Ub) and TSG101, but less so for HRS, in signal processing events at the cSMAC. Using siRNA in primary T cells, we show that Ub recognition by TSG101 is required for cSMAC formation, TCR MC signal termination, TCR downregulation, and segregation of TCR-MHC-peptide from PKC-theta-enriched signaling complexes. Weak agonist MHC-peptide induced CD80-dependent TCR MCs that dissociated in the center of the IS without recruiting TSG101. These results support TSG101-dependent recognition of CD80-independent TCR MCs as a molecular checkpoint for TCR downregulation.

T cell receptor (TCR)-dependent regulatory T cell (Treg) activity controls effector T cell (Teff) function and is inhibited by the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Protein kinase C-theta (PKC-theta) recruitment to the immunological synapse is required for full Teff activation. In contrast, PKC-theta was sequestered away from the Treg immunological synapse. Furthermore, PKC-theta blockade enhanced Treg function, demonstrating PKC-theta inhibits Treg-mediated suppression. Inhibition of PKC-theta protected Treg from inactivation by TNF-alpha, restored activity of defective Treg from rheumatoid arthritis patients, and enhanced protection of mice from inflammatory colitis. Treg freed of PKC-theta-mediated inhibition can function in the presence of inflammatory cytokines and thus have therapeutic potential in control of inflammatory diseases