In the Crosshairs: Investigating Lytic Granules by High-Resolution Microscopy and Electrophysiology

A complete portrait of a cell requires a detailed description of its molecular topography: proteins must be linked to particular organelles. Immuno-electron microscopy can reveal locations of proteins with nanometer resolution but is limited by the quality of fixation, the paucity of antibodies, and the inaccessibility of the antigens. Here, we describe correlative fluorescence electron microscopy for the nanoscopic localization of proteins in electron micrographs. Proteins tagged with Citrine or tdEos were expressed in Caenorhabditis elegans, fixed and embedded. Tagged proteins were imaged from ultrathin sections using stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED) or photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM). Fluorescence was correlated with organelles imaged in electron micrographs from the same sections. These methods were used to successfully localize histones, a mitochondrial protein, and a presynaptic dense projection protein in electron micrographs.

One of the most fundamental activities of the adaptive immune system is to kill infected cells and tumor cells. Two distinct pathways mediate this process, both of which are facilitated by a cytotoxic immunological synapse. While traditionally thought of as innate immune cells, natural killer (NK) cells are now appreciated to have the capacity for long-term adaptation to chemical and viral insults. These cells integrate multiple positive and negative signals through NK cell cytotoxic or inhibitory synapses. The traditional CD8(+)alphabeta T-cell receptor-positive cells are among the best models for the concept of an immunological synapse, in which vectoral signaling is linked to directed secretion in a stable interface to induce apoptotic cell death in an infected cell. Large-scale molecular organization in synapses generated a number of hypotheses. Studies in the past 5 years have started to provide clear answers regarding the validity of these models. In vivo imaging approaches have provided some hints as to the physiologic relevance of these processes with great promise for the future. This review provides an overview of work on cytotoxic immunological synapses and suggests pathways forward in applying this information to the development of therapeutic agents.