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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jul 17.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Immunol. 2010 Mar 11;22(3):308–313. doi: 10.1016/j.coi.2010.02.008

Figure 1. The immunological synapse: a highly organised interface.

Figure 1

The interface between CTL and target is organised with an adhesion ring: the peripheral supramolecular activation complex (pSMAC) with leucocyte function associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) on the CTL and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) on the target cell. Within the pSMAC is the central SMAC, where TCR accumulates, and beside it the secretion domain where lytic granules fuse to release their content. The centrioles of the centrosome dock beside the cSMAC, which acts as a focal point for minus end microtubule-mediated delivery of lytic granules. Actin accumulation occurs in a distal SMAC (dSMAC).