{
  "abstract": "Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) represents a major pro-inflammatory cytokine associated with chronic inflammation. Enhanced understanding of intracellular trafficking of TNF- enables the identification of drug targets that modulate TNF- secretion at the cellular source. However, conventional cytokine assays provide only bulk measurements of secreted TNF- or static measurements in fixed cells and therefore cannot provide mechanistic information. Here, we report a fluorescence imaging platform to visualize and quantify intracellular TNF- trafficking in human T cells. Using a Jurkat T cell line stably expressing TNF- fused to mStayGold as a model system, we revealed through single-particle tracking (SPT) that T cell activation increased the motility of TNF- vesicles and that microtubule perturbation disrupted this increased motility. 3D structured illumination microscopy uncovered spatial associations between TNF- vesicles and lysosomes, and SPT further demonstrated their coordinated transport. Using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we captured the sub-second splitting of single TNF- vesicles into multiple puncta that subsequently separated, suggesting delivery of TNF- from the vesicle to the plasma membrane. Confocal-based super-resolution microscopy further resolved TNF- vesicles fusing with the plasma membrane and transmembrane TNF-. Together, these imaging capabilities for tracking and super-resolving the intracellular transport and membrane delivery of TNF- in live T cells enable mechanistic studies of TNF- trafficking and release.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of Illinois Chicago"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "A. Burgess"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Gunasekara"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Xie"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Y. S. Hu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f9xtn1t4j9626.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.07.757379",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.07.757379v1.full",
  "id": "f9xtn1t4j9626",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.07.757379v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "biophysics"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1307|Cellular transport and secretion"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221161553",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.07.757379v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-07",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f9xtn1t4j9626.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:26:46Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.07.757379",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.07.757379v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "biorxiv:biophysics",
      "subfield": "biophysics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Direct visualization of lysosome-mediated intracellular transport and membrane anchoring of TNF-α in human T cells",
  "title_text": "Direct visualization of lysosome-mediated intracellular transport and membrane anchoring of TNF-α in human T cells",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:26:46Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f9xtn1t4j9626",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}