Building the immunological synapse-toward a quantitative view of T cell activation

T cell activation requires formation of a specialized cell-cell junction, the immunological synapse (Paul and Seder, 1994). The authors have hypothesized that segregation will be an important process for T cell activation (Shaw and Dustin, 1997). To test these hypotheses and to explore the engineering principles behind these events the authors have developed a model system in which formation of an immunological synapse is quantitatively visualized in real time. Molecular segregation of engaged MHC-peptide and ICAM-1 complexes was strongly correlated with T cell proliferation. These data support the hypothesis that molecular segregation is important for T cell signaling.