image: The drawing on the cover of "Immunoreceptor Signaling" is an artist's rendition of the interaction between the antigen-presenting cell (depicted in brown) and the T lymphocyte (depicted in blue), during T-cell activation. The artist has attempted to convey the variety of transmembrane receptors and ligands on each cell type that participates in this process. (Image courtesy of Dr. Philip Stork, The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Sciences University.) view more
Credit: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. (Nov. 23, 2010) -- Specialized white blood cells called T cells and B cells are critical for immunity--helping the body to identify and eliminate "non-self" substances such as viruses and bacteria. The activation of T cells and B cells occurs when immunoreceptors on the cell surface bind to specific regions on, or derived from, the invaders. This binding activates signaling pathways inside the T cells and B cells that control cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and effector functions.
A new book, Immunoreceptor Signaling, reviews our current understanding of events that occur during the activation of T cells and B cells. "The chapters cover a wide range of topics and, in aggregate, our hope is that they provide a comprehensive sense of the current state of the field," write the editors, Lawrence Samelson and Andrey Shaw, in the Preface. "Perhaps this overview will aid in stimulating the next many years of fruitful research."
Immunoreceptor Signaling, just released by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, includes contributions covering the structures of the T-cell and B-cell immunoreceptors, the numerous kinases and adaptors that associate with their intracellular tails, and the downstream signaling pathways that lead to transcription of interleukins and other outputs. Other contributions examine the roles of other receptors, co-stimulatory signals, and innate immune responses in regulation of immunoreceptor signaling.
The spatial organization of the immunological synapses connecting lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells is also discussed, along with the role of the cytoskeleton in immunoreceptor function. Computational models of the signaling processes complete the volume, making it essential reading for systems biologists as well as all immunologists and cell biologists interested in understanding how lymphocytes function.
About the book: Immunoreceptor Signaling was edited by Lawrence E. Samelson (National Institute of Health) and Andrey Shaw (Washington University School of Medicine). It is published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (ISBN 978-0-879698-96-6; © 2011) and is available in hardcover (282 pp., 7" × 10"). For more information, see http://www.cshlpress.com/link/immrecpsig.htm.
About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is an internationally renowned publisher of books, journals, and electronic media, located on Long Island, New York. Since 1933, it has furthered the advance and spread of scientific knowledge in all areas of genetics and molecular biology, including cancer biology, plant science, bioinformatics, and neurobiology. It is a division of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an innovator in life science research and the education of scientists, students, and the public. For more information, visit www.cshlpress.com.