The Dendritic cell is a key cell in the immune system, which acts
as a sentry, going all over the body looking for pathogens indicative of infection or disease. When it
finds something, it takes a sample and carries this information back to the lymph node, where it
searches for the correct T cell to recognize and fight the disease.
Background
- Originate from haemopoietic stem cells
- Have a branched tree-like morphology (structure)
- Are found in non-lymphatic organs when immature
- Are responsible for transport of antigens to lymph organs and presentation of antigen to T-cells
Function
- Immature Dendritic Cells (IDCs) engulf external antigens, using pinocytosis for soluble
items or phagocytosis for particles.
- IDCs process antigen proteolytically, by splitting proteins with hydrolysis, in their lysosomes.
- The IDC then "presents" the processed antigen attached to a MHC Class II
complex on the surface of the cell.
- The DC migrates in lymph pathways to the lymph node and matures on the way, losing its
ability to take up antigen and changing shape.
- The DC presents the processed antigen on its surface to T-cells in the lymph node.
Dendritic Cell T-Cell Interaction
- DC has gone from long and treelike to bunched up like a scrunched up wad of paper
-
Image of T-Cells docking on DC (FREE Registration Required)
- T-cells are activated by several molecules on the surface of DCs
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