immunologicalsynapse

How NK cells avoid collateral damage

Before secreting their lytic granules to kill transformed or virally infected cells, natural killer cells converge these lysosome-related organelles around the microtubule-organizing center. Hsu et al. reveal that, by promoting the granules' directed secretion at the immunological synapse, convergence both enhances the efficiency of target cell killing and limits the death of healthy bystander cells. This biosights episode presents the paper by Hsu et al. from the December 19th, 2016, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with the paper's senior author, Jordan Orange (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. See the associated paper in JCB for details on the funding provided to support this original research.

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Formin’ arcs at the immunological synapse

When a T cell encounters an antigen-presenting cell, it dramatically reorganizes its cytoskeleton to form a specialized contact site called the immunological synapse. Murugesan et al. use superresolution microscopy to reveal that the medial region of the synapse contains a contractile network of formin-generated actomyosin arcs that sweep T cell receptor microclusters toward the center of the synapse. This biosights episode presents the paper by Murugesan et al. from the November 7th, 2016, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with the paper’s senior author, John Hammer (NHLBI, Bethesda, MD). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. See the associated paper in JCB for details on the funding provided to support this original research.

Shrinking microtubules pull the centrosome into place

When a T cell encounters a target antigen-presenting cell, it moves its centrosome to the immunological synapse that connects the two cells. Yi et al. reveal that centrosome repositioning is a biphasic process driven by the dynein-dependent capture and depolymerization of microtubules. This biosights episode presents the paper by Yi et al. from the September 2, 2013, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with senior author John Hammer (NHLBI, Bethesda, MD). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. See the associated paper in JCB for details on the funding provided to support this original research.

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Activated T cell receptors stimulate actin polymerization at the periphery of the immunological synapses that form between lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells. Babich et al. reveal that the retrograde flow of actin, largely driven by continuous polymerization, is required to sustain downstream signaling events and T cell activation. This biosights episode presents the paper by Babich et al. from the June 11, 2012 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with senior author Janis Burkhardt (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. See the associated paper in JCB for details on the funding provided to support this original research.

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When a T cell encounters a target antigen-presenting cell, the lymphocyte's centrosome relocalizes to a specialized contact between the two cells called the immunological synapse. Zyss et al. reveal that casein kinase Iδ helps to reposition the centrosome in activated T cells, perhaps by working with the microtubule plus-end binding protein EB1 to regulate microtubule growth. This biosights episode presents the paper by Zyss et al. from the November 28, 2011, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with senior author Fanni Gergely (University of Cambridge and Cancer Research UK). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short.

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Natural Killer (NK) cells distinguish target cells from surrounding healthy tissue by integrating signals from a variety of activating and inhibitory receptors. Abeyweera et al. reveal that signals from inhibitory receptors limit NK cell activity by remodeling contacts with potential targets and inducing NK cell retraction. This biosights episode presents the paper by Abeyweera et al. from the February 21, 2011, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Morgan Huse (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short.

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