Figure 1

The differences in immunological synapse formation between mature T cells and immature thymocytes during activation. (a) Following activation of a mature T cell, ICAM molecules (red) are 'pushed' to the periphery and T-cell receptors (TCRs) and MHC class II molecules are clustered and form a single synapse (green). (b) In contrast, on a thymocyte, TCRs and MHC class II molecules form multiple discrete synapses and do not cluster into a single focus. The biological consequences of these patterns are unclear.