About the Cover
COVER PICTURE: A key molecule necessary for activation of T lymphocytes through their antigen-specific T cell receptor (TCR) is the transmembrane adaptor protein LAT (linker for activation of T cells). Upon TCR engagement, LAT becomes rapidly tyrosine phosphorylated and then serves as a scaffold organizing a multicomponent complex that is indispensable for induction of further downstream steps of the signaling cascade. A similar transmembrane adaptor protein, termed NTAL (non-T cell activation linker), appears to play analogous roles in signaling via high affinity Fc-receptors for IgG and IgE in myeloid cells and via B cell receptor in B lymphocytes. The picture shows expression of NTAL (green) in plasma membrane of myeloid THP-1 cells (top left), a dividing Ramos B cell (bottom middle), and lack of expression in J.CaM2.5 (Jurkat T cell mutant; top right); nuclei are shown in red. See related article by Brdicka et al.,
pp. 1617-1626.
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