Abstract
Although intercellular transfer of cell surface molecules has been observed between several cells of the immune system, the physiological relevance of this phenomenon remained obscure. Until now the transfer of molecules between antigen-presenting cells (APC) and T cells has been described as a unidirectional process from APC to T cells. However, here we show that T cells in turn donate molecules to APC, and that T cell-derived vesicles can mediate this transfer. The transferred proteins are incorporated into the APC as active molecules. Our data provide evidence that T cells use intercellular molecule transfer to mediate cell contact-dependent regulation of T cell responses via modulation of the APC.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
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B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
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Bacterial Proteins / immunology
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Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
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Cell Communication / immunology*
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Chaperonin 60
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Chaperonins / immunology
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Chaperonins / metabolism*
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Coculture Techniques
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Dendritic Cells / immunology*
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Dendritic Cells / metabolism
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Haplotypes
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Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / immunology*
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Microscopy, Confocal
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Microscopy, Electron
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Myelin Basic Protein / immunology
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Myelin Basic Protein / metabolism*
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Peptide Fragments / immunology
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Peptide Fragments / metabolism*
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Rats
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Rats, Inbred BN
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Rats, Inbred Lew
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Transport Vesicles / immunology
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Transport Vesicles / metabolism
Substances
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Bacterial Proteins
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Chaperonin 60
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Histocompatibility Antigens Class II
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Myelin Basic Protein
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Peptide Fragments
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heat-shock protein 65, Mycobacterium
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myelin basic protein 72-85
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Chaperonins