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Shouts, whispers and the kiss of death: directional secretion in T cells

Nature Immunology volume 9, pages 1105–1111 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

T cells use secreted soluble factors for highly specific intercellular communication and targeted cell killing. This specificity is achieved first through T cell receptor–mediated recognition of complexes of peptide and major histocompatibility complex displayed by appropriate antigen-presenting cells and then by the directed secretion of cytokines and lytic factors into the immunological synapse between the T cell and antigen-presenting cell. Studies have begun to probe the molecular basis for this synaptic secretion and have also shown that T cells release chemokines and certain inflammatory factors through a multidirectional pathway directed away from the synapse. Thus, the mode of secretion seems to be tailored to the intended function of the secreted molecule.

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Figure 1: The time course of T cell secretory responses.

Kim Caesar

Figure 2: Secretion of vesicles from cells.

Kim Caesar

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Acknowledgements

We thank Z. Chai for discussions. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (AI057229 to M.M.D.) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (M.M.D.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, 10065, USA

    Morgan Huse & Emily J Quann

  2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, 94305, California, USA

    Mark M Davis

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Correspondence to Morgan Huse or Mark M Davis.

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Huse, M., Quann, E. & Davis, M. Shouts, whispers and the kiss of death: directional secretion in T cells. Nat Immunol 9, 1105–1111 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni.f.215

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