B Cells Use Mechanical Energy to Discriminate Antigen Affinities

The generation of high-affinity antibodies depends on the ability of cells to extract antigens from the surfaces of antigen-presenting cells. cells that express high-affinity cell receptors (BCRs) acquire more antigen and obtain better T cell help. However, the mechanisms by which cells extract anti...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2013-06, Vol.340 (6140), p.1587-1590
Main Authors: Natkanski, Elizabeth, Lee, Wing-Yiu, Mistry, Bhakti, Casal, Antonio, Molloy, Justin E., Tolar, Pavel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affinity
Animals
Antibodies
Antibody Affinity
Antigen Presentation
Antigens
Antigens - immunology
B lymphocytes
B-Lymphocytes - immunology
Biophysics
Cell membranes
Cells, Cultured
Cellular biology
Economic discrimination
Energy use
Extraction
Fluorescence
Immunoglobulins
Internalization
Loading rate
Mechanical Phenomena
Membranes
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Microscopy, Atomic Force
Movies
Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIA - physiology
Online
P branes
Protective
Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell - immunology
Synapses
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The generation of high-affinity antibodies depends on the ability of cells to extract antigens from the surfaces of antigen-presenting cells. cells that express high-affinity cell receptors (BCRs) acquire more antigen and obtain better T cell help. However, the mechanisms by which cells extract antigen remain unclear. Using fluid and flexible membrane substrates to mimic antigen-presenting cells, we showed that cells acquire antigen by dynamic myosin lla-mediated contractions that pull out and invaginate the presenting membranes. The forces generated by myosin lla contractions ruptured most individual BCR-antigen bonds and promoted internalization of only high-affinity, multivalent BCR microclusters. Thus, cell contractility contributes to affinity discrimination by mechanically testing the strength of antigen binding.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1237572