Direct single molecule measurement of TCR triggering by agonist pMHC in living primary T cells

Geoff P O'Donoghue; Rafal M Pielak; Alexander A Smoligovets; Jenny J Lin; Jay T Groves

doi:10.7554/eLife.00778

eLife (Jul 2013)

Direct single molecule measurement of TCR triggering by agonist pMHC in living primary T cells

Geoff P O'Donoghue,
Rafal M Pielak,
Alexander A Smoligovets,
Jenny J Lin,
Jay T Groves

Affiliations

Geoff P O'Donoghue: Department of Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
Rafal M Pielak: Department of Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
Alexander A Smoligovets: Department of Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
Jenny J Lin: Department of Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
Jay T Groves: Department of Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00778
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 2

Abstract

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T cells discriminate between self and foreign antigenic peptides, displayed on antigen presenting cell surfaces, via the TCR. While the molecular interactions between TCR and its ligands are well characterized in vitro, quantitative measurements of these interactions in living cells are required to accurately resolve the physical mechanisms of TCR signaling. We report direct single molecule measurements of TCR triggering by agonist pMHC in hybrid junctions between live primary T cells and supported lipid membranes. Every pMHC:TCR complex over the entire cell is tracked while simultaneously monitoring the local membrane recruitment of ZAP70, as a readout of TCR triggering. Mean dwell times for pMHC:TCR molecular binding of 5 and 54 s were measured for two different pMHC:TCR systems. Single molecule measurements of the pMHC:TCR:ZAP70 complex indicate that TCR triggering is stoichiometric with agonist pMHC in a 1:1 ratio. Thus any signal amplification must occur downstream of TCR triggering.

Published in eLife

ISSN: 2050-084X (Online)
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine; Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://elifesciences.org

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