Title | T cell stiffness is enhanced upon formation of immunological synapse |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2021 |
Authors | Jung, P., X. Zhou, S. Iden, M. Bischoff, and B. Qu |
Secondary Authors | Michelot, A., A. Akhmanova, and A. Michelot |
Journal | eLife |
Volume | 10 |
Pagination | e66643 |
ISSN | 2050-084X |
Keywords | calcium, immunological synapse, Jurkat T-cells, lamellipodia, primary CD4+ T cells, stiffness, T cells |
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 \textasciitilde60 nm. Using primary human CD4\textsuperscript+ 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 Ca\textsuperscript2+ 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. |
URL | https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.66643 |
DOI | 10.7554/eLife.66643 |
Citation Key | 10.7554/eLife.66643 |