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Scofield MD. Exploring the Role of Astroglial Glutamate Release and Association With Synapses in Neuronal Function and Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:778-786. [PMID: 29258653 PMCID: PMC5948108 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are stellate cells whose appearance can resemble a pointed star, especially when visualizing glial fibrillary acidic protein, a canonical marker for astrocytes. Accordingly, there is a commonly made connection between the points of light that shine in the night sky and the diffuse and abundant cells that buffer ions and provide support for neurons. An exceptional amount of function has been attributed to, negated for, and potentially reaffirmed for these cells, especially regarding their ability to release neuroactive molecules and influence synaptic plasticity. This makes the precise role of astrocytes in tuning neural communication seem difficult to grasp. However, data from animal models of addiction demonstrate that a variety of drug-induced molecular adaptations responsible for relapse vulnerability take place in astrocyte systems that regulate glutamate uptake and release. These findings highlight astrocytes as a critical component of the neural systems responsible for addiction, serving as a key component of the plasticity responsible for relapse and drug seeking. Here I assemble recent findings that utilize genetic tools to selectively manipulate or measure flux of internal calcium in astrocytes, focusing on G protein-coupled receptor-mediated mobilization of calcium and the induction of glutamate release. Further, I compile evidence regarding astrocyte glutamate release as well as astrocyte association with synapses with respect to the impact of these cellular phenomena in shaping synaptic transmission. I also place these findings in the context of the previous studies of Scofield et al., who explored the role of astrocytes in the nucleus accumbens in the neural mechanisms underlying cocaine seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425 USA,Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425 USA
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2
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Wang JC, Bolger-Munro M, Gold MR. Visualizing the Actin and Microtubule Cytoskeletons at the B-cell Immune Synapse Using Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Microscopy. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29683438 DOI: 10.3791/57028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
B cells that bind to membrane-bound antigens (e.g., on the surface of an antigen-presenting cell) form an immune synapse, a specialized cellular structure that optimizes B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling and BCR-mediated antigen acquisition. Both the remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton and the reorientation of the microtubule network towards the antigen contact site are essential for immune synapse formation. Remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton into a dense peripheral ring of F-actin is accompanied by polarization of the microtubule-organizing center towards the immune synapse. Microtubule plus-end binding proteins, as well as cortical plus-end capture proteins mediate physical interactions between the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, which allow them to be reorganized in a coordinated manner. Elucidating the mechanisms that control this cytoskeletal reorganization, as well as understanding how these cytoskeletal structures shape immune synapse formation and BCR signaling, can provide new insights into B cell activation. This has been aided by the development of super-resolution microscopy approaches that reveal new details of cytoskeletal network organization. We describe here a method for using stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy to simultaneously image actin structures, microtubules, and transfected GFP-tagged microtubule plus-end binding proteins in B cells. To model the early events in immune synapse formation, we allow B cells to spread on coverslips coated with anti-immunoglobulin (anti-Ig) antibodies, which initiate BCR signaling and cytoskeleton remodeling. We provide step-by-step protocols for expressing GFP fusion proteins in A20 B-lymphoma cells, for anti-Ig-induced cell spreading, and for subsequent cell fixation, Immunostaining, image acquisition, and image deconvolution steps. The high-resolution images obtained using these procedures allow one to simultaneously visualize actin structures, microtubules, and the microtubule plus-end binding proteins that may link these two cytoskeletal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia C Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia
| | | | - Michael R Gold
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia;
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Mukherjee M, Mace EM, Carisey AF, Ahmed N, Orange JS. Quantitative Imaging Approaches to Study the CAR Immunological Synapse. Mol Ther 2017; 25:1757-1768. [PMID: 28663103 PMCID: PMC5542801 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The lytic immunological synapse (IS) is a discrete structural entity formed after the ligation of specific activating receptors that leads to the destruction of a cancerous cell. The formation of an effector cell IS in cytotoxic T lymphocytes or natural killer cells is a hierarchical and stepwise rearrangement of structural and signaling components and targeted release of the contents of lytic granules. While recent advances in the generation and testing of cytotoxic lymphocytes expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has demonstrated their efficacy in the targeted lysis of tumor targets, the contribution and dynamics of IS components have not yet been extensively investigated in the context of engineered CAR cells. Understanding the biology of the CAR IS will be a powerful approach to efficiently guide the engineering of new CARs and help identify mechanistic problems in existing CARs. Here, we review the formation of the lytic IS and describe quantitative imaging-based measurements using multiple microscopy techniques at a single cell level that can be used in conjunction with established population-based assays to provide insight into the important cytotoxic function of CAR cells. The inclusion of this approach in the pipeline of CAR product design could be a novel and valuable innovation for the field.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens/chemistry
- Antigens/immunology
- Antigens/metabolism
- Biotechnology
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Humans
- Immunological Synapses/immunology
- Immunological Synapses/metabolism
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Microscopy/methods
- Molecular Imaging/methods
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/chemistry
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Malini Mukherjee
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77025, USA; Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77025, USA; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Emily M Mace
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77025, USA; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alexandre F Carisey
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77025, USA; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nabil Ahmed
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77025, USA; Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77025, USA
| | - Jordan S Orange
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77025, USA; Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77025, USA; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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4
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Abstract
T cell signaling is inextricably linked to actin cytoskeletal dynamics at the immunological synapse (IS). This process can be imaged in living T cells expressing GFP actin or fluorescent F-actin binding proteins. Because of its planar nature, the IS provides a unique opportunity to image events as they happen, monitoring changes in actin retrograde flow in T cells interacting with different stimulatory surfaces or after pharmacological treatments. Here, we described the imaging methods and analytical procedures used to measure actin velocity across the IS in T cells spreading on planar stimulatory surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna I Jankowska
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, ARC 816D, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Janis K Burkhardt
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, ARC 816D, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Balta E, Stopp J, Castelletti L, Kirchgessner H, Samstag Y, Wabnitz GH. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of PMN/T-cell interactions by InFlow and super-resolution microscopy. Methods 2017; 112:25-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Abstract
Recent advances in imaging technology have enabled significant advances in the study of NK cell cytotoxic effector function through quantitative analysis of the NK cell immunological synapse. This can include the use of high- and super-resolution microscopy to quantify dynamics of cytoskeletal elements and the role they play in the regulation and execution of NK cell directed secretion. Here we describe a protocol for the recapitulation of the NK cell lytic synapse on glass, the acquisition of microscopy images, and suggested approaches for the processing and analysis of microscopy data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Mace
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jordan S Orange
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Jang JH, Huang Y, Zheng P, Jo MC, Bertolet G, Zhu MX, Qin L, Liu D. Imaging of Cell-Cell Communication in a Vertical Orientation Reveals High-Resolution Structure of Immunological Synapse and Novel PD-1 Dynamics. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2015; 195:1320-1330. [PMID: 26123352 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1403143/-/dcsupplemental] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The immunological synapse (IS) is one of the most pivotal communication strategies in immune cells. Understanding the molecular basis of the IS provides critical information regarding how immune cells mount an effective immune response. Fluorescence microscopy provides a fundamental tool to study the IS. However, current imaging techniques for studying the IS cannot sufficiently achieve high resolution in real cell-cell conjugates. In this study, we present a new device that allows for high-resolution imaging of the IS with conventional confocal microscopy in a high-throughput manner. Combining micropits and single-cell trap arrays, we have developed a new microfluidic platform that allows visualization of the IS in vertically "stacked" cells. Using this vertical cell pairing (VCP) system, we investigated the dynamics of the inhibitory synapse mediated by an inhibitory receptor, programed death protein-1, and the cytotoxic synapse at the single-cell level. In addition to the technique innovation, we have demonstrated novel biological findings by this VCP device, including novel distribution of F-actin and cytolytic granules at the IS, programed death protein-1 microclusters at the NK IS, and kinetics of cytotoxicity. We propose that this high-throughput, cost-effective, easy-to-use VCP system, along with conventional imaging techniques, can be used to address a number of significant biological questions in a variety of disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joon Hee Jang
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Yu Huang
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Graduate Program in Cell and Regulatory Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Peilin Zheng
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Myeong Chan Jo
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Grant Bertolet
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; and
| | - Michael Xi Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Graduate Program in Cell and Regulatory Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Lidong Qin
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; and
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8
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Jang JH, Huang Y, Zheng P, Jo MC, Bertolet G, Zhu MX, Qin L, Liu D. Imaging of Cell-Cell Communication in a Vertical Orientation Reveals High-Resolution Structure of Immunological Synapse and Novel PD-1 Dynamics. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 195:1320-30. [PMID: 26123352 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1403143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The immunological synapse (IS) is one of the most pivotal communication strategies in immune cells. Understanding the molecular basis of the IS provides critical information regarding how immune cells mount an effective immune response. Fluorescence microscopy provides a fundamental tool to study the IS. However, current imaging techniques for studying the IS cannot sufficiently achieve high resolution in real cell-cell conjugates. In this study, we present a new device that allows for high-resolution imaging of the IS with conventional confocal microscopy in a high-throughput manner. Combining micropits and single-cell trap arrays, we have developed a new microfluidic platform that allows visualization of the IS in vertically "stacked" cells. Using this vertical cell pairing (VCP) system, we investigated the dynamics of the inhibitory synapse mediated by an inhibitory receptor, programed death protein-1, and the cytotoxic synapse at the single-cell level. In addition to the technique innovation, we have demonstrated novel biological findings by this VCP device, including novel distribution of F-actin and cytolytic granules at the IS, programed death protein-1 microclusters at the NK IS, and kinetics of cytotoxicity. We propose that this high-throughput, cost-effective, easy-to-use VCP system, along with conventional imaging techniques, can be used to address a number of significant biological questions in a variety of disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joon Hee Jang
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Yu Huang
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Graduate Program in Cell and Regulatory Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Peilin Zheng
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Myeong Chan Jo
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Grant Bertolet
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; and
| | - Michael Xi Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Graduate Program in Cell and Regulatory Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Lidong Qin
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; and
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Zheng P, Bertolet G, Chen Y, Huang S, Liu D. Super-resolution imaging of the natural killer cell immunological synapse on a glass-supported planar lipid bilayer. J Vis Exp 2015. [PMID: 25741636 PMCID: PMC4354632 DOI: 10.3791/52502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The glass-supported planar lipid bilayer system has been utilized in a variety of disciplines. One of the most useful applications of this technique has been in the study of immunological synapse formation, due to the ability of the glass-supported planar lipid bilayers to mimic the surface of a target cell while forming a horizontal interface. The recent advances in super-resolution imaging have further allowed scientists to better view the fine details of synapse structure. In this study, one of these advanced techniques, stimulated emission depletion (STED), is utilized to study the structure of natural killer (NK) cell synapses on the supported lipid bilayer. Provided herein is an easy-to-follow protocol detailing: how to prepare raw synthetic phospholipids for use in synthesizing glass-supported bilayers; how to determine how densely protein of a given concentration occupies the bilayer's attachment sites; how to construct a supported lipid bilayer containing antibodies against NK cell activating receptor CD16; and finally, how to image human NK cells on this bilayer using STED super-resolution microscopy, with a focus on distribution of perforin positive lytic granules and filamentous actin at NK synapses. Thus, combining the glass-supported planar lipid bilayer system with STED technique, we demonstrate the feasibility and application of this combined technique, as well as intracellular structures at NK immunological synapse with super-resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peilin Zheng
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Grant Bertolet
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Yuhui Chen
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Shengjian Huang
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine;
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