Cell-Cell Interaction

Many biological responses are initiated through direct cell-cell interactions. Such interactions may result in the recruitment of signaling molecules to the interacting point of contact (such as at the immune synapse), or in transfer of materials between cells, or cellular fusion. These systems are naturally suited for microscopic analysis, and the ImageStream's high speed image acquisition and quantitative image analysis capabilities bring major advances to the study of cell-cell interactions. Single cells, conjugates, and fusion events are easily distinguishable in statistically significant sample sizes, and accumulation of protein at the synapse or transfer of material between two cells readily identified and quantified.

Ovalbumin specific T cells incubated with antigen presenting cells +/- ovalbumin peptide

Ovalbumin-specific accumulation of ADAP at the immune synapse is measured. Without specific peptide ADAP (green) is distributed around the T cell and in the presence of specific peptide ADAP moves to the synapse between the APC and T cell. Quantitation of conjugate formation and representative cells images show that without specific peptide ADAP (green) is distributed around the T cell and in the presence of specific peptide ADAP moves to the synapse between the APC and T cell. See the application note for more details.

Membrane transfer between cells

Transfer of PKH26 labeled cell membrane (red) from antigen presenting cells (APC) to T cells identified by CD3 (green). Cell images show T cell:APC conjugates (R8) and single T cells with APC membrane material (R3).