T cell stiffness is enhanced upon formation of immunological synapse

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Date
2021
Volume
10
Issue
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Publisher
Cambridge : eLife Sciences Publications
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Abstract

T cells are activated by target cells via an intimate contact, termed immunological synapse (IS). Cellular mechanical properties, especially stiffness, are essential to regulate cell functions. However, T cell stiffness at a subcellular level at the IS still remains largely elusive. In this work, we established an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based elasticity mapping method on whole T cells to obtain an overview of the stiffness with a resolution of ~60 nm. Using primary human CD4+ T cells, we show that when T cells form IS with stimulating antibody-coated surfaces, the lamellipodia are stiffer than the cell body. Upon IS formation, T cell stiffness is enhanced both at the lamellipodia and on the cell body. Chelation of intracellular Ca2+ abolishes IS-induced stiffening at the lamellipodia but has no influence on cell-body-stiffening, suggesting different regulatory mechanisms of IS-induced stiffening at the lamellipodia and the cell body.

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Keywords
T cells, stiffness, immunological synapse, lamellipodia, calcium, primary CD4+ T cells, Jurkat T-cells
Citation
Jung, P., Zhou, X., Iden, S., Bischoff, M., & Qu, B. (2021). T cell stiffness is enhanced upon formation of immunological synapse. 10. https://doi.org//10.7554/eLife.66643
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License
CC BY 4.0 Unported