A major challenge in biological science and engineering is to understand and control how cells communicate. When cells transduce signals, thousands of membrane receptors and signaling molecules reorganize into spatially diverse patterns over many length scales. Such dynamic process is a key element to ensure the spatiotemporal connectivity in cellular signal transduction. A hallmark example is the tight membrane junction between immune cells, namely the immunological synapse. Membrane receptors reorganize to form protein patterns on multiple length scales from nanometers to micrometers. It has been recognized that the spatial organization of proteins is directly associated with immune responses, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the presentation, I will describe how advanced fluorescence imaging, nanotechnology, and cell biology can be combined to understand the protein organization and dynamics in the T cell immunological synapse during signal transduction. A combination of multidisciplinary approaches, including single-molecule imaging and tracking, lipid bilayer engineering, and surface fabrication, allow us to elucidate the interconnectivity between physical phenomena and biochemical signaling.

Organization and dynamics of cell signaling in the immunological synapse

245th National Meeting (2013)

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