Trogocytosis
![Volumetric reconstruction from confocal slices of a Ramos-RAW cell interface. RTX-Al488-coated (green), PKH26-labelled Ramos cells (red) were incubated with RAW cells for 45 minutes at 37°C. RAW cells were labelled with anti-CD11b-APC (cyan). The RAW cell has extensively trogocytosed both RTX and PKH26. Inset shows the dotted area above it without the PKH26 channel overlaid, revealing the concentration of RTX-Al488 at the cell-cell interface, otherwise depleted from the rest of the Ramos cell. Trogocytosis reaction was halted by fixation 45 min after co-incubation. Ramos cells are approximately 12 µm in diameter.](/Images/godic/202502/17/Ramos_cell_trogocytosis3823.png")
Trogocytosis (Greek:trogo; gnaw) is a process whereby lymphocytes (B, T and NK cells) conjugated to antigen-presenting cells extract surface molecules from these cells and express them on their own surface. The molecular reorganization occurring at the interface between the lymphocyte and the antigen-presenting cell during conjugation is also called “immunological synapse”.