Trogocytosis is a rapid transfer between cells of membranes and associated proteins. Trogocytic exchanges have been investigated between different cell types, mainly in two-cell systems, involving one donor and one ac...Trogocytosis is a rapid transfer between cells of membranes and associated proteins. Trogocytic exchanges have been investigated between different cell types, mainly in two-cell systems, involving one donor and one acceptor cell type. Here, we studied trogocytosis in a more complex system, involving not only several immune cell subsets but also multiple tumor cells. We show that CD4~ T cells, CD8+ T cells and monocytes can acquire membrane patches and the intact proteins they contain from different tumor cells by multiple simultaneous trogocytoses. The trogocytic ca- pabilities of CD4~ and CD8~ T cells were found to be similar, but inferior to that of autologous monocytes. Activated peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) may also exchange membranes between themselves in an all-autolo- gous system. For this reason, monocytes are capable of acquiring membranes from multiple tumor cell sources, and transfer them again to autologous T cells, along with some of their own membranes (serial trogocytosis). Our data illustrate the extent of membrane exchanges between autologous activated immune effector cells and their environ- ment, and how the cellular content of the local environment, including "bystander" cells, may impact the functions of immune effector cells.展开更多
文摘Trogocytosis is a rapid transfer between cells of membranes and associated proteins. Trogocytic exchanges have been investigated between different cell types, mainly in two-cell systems, involving one donor and one acceptor cell type. Here, we studied trogocytosis in a more complex system, involving not only several immune cell subsets but also multiple tumor cells. We show that CD4~ T cells, CD8+ T cells and monocytes can acquire membrane patches and the intact proteins they contain from different tumor cells by multiple simultaneous trogocytoses. The trogocytic ca- pabilities of CD4~ and CD8~ T cells were found to be similar, but inferior to that of autologous monocytes. Activated peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) may also exchange membranes between themselves in an all-autolo- gous system. For this reason, monocytes are capable of acquiring membranes from multiple tumor cell sources, and transfer them again to autologous T cells, along with some of their own membranes (serial trogocytosis). Our data illustrate the extent of membrane exchanges between autologous activated immune effector cells and their environ- ment, and how the cellular content of the local environment, including "bystander" cells, may impact the functions of immune effector cells.