A new vampire saga: the molecular mechanism of T cell trogocytosis
26.08.2011
Dopfer EP, Minguet S, Schamel WW.
Immunity. 2011 Aug 26;35(2):151-3.
In the immune system many ways of cell-to-cell communication are described, one of which is trogocytosis (from Greek trogo-, nibble). Trogocytosis is a poorly defined process by which intact proteins, protein-complexes and even membrane patches are transferred from one cell to another.
Here we review the literature focusing on an article of Martínez-Martín et al. (Immunity, 2011) who experimentally showed that the central supramolecular activation cluster (cSMAC) of the immune-synapse, functions as a site of clathrin-independent T cell receptor (TCR) internalization and trogocytosis. For the first time, the paper uncovers molecular players involved in the process of trogocytosis. Surprisingly, these share key features of phagocytosis. Further, they identify small Rho GTPases TC21 and RhoG as key mediators of these processes.
