Tuning B cell responsiveness by antigen receptor isotype

Tuning B cell responsiveness by antigen receptor isotype

The expression of functional B cell antigen receptors (BCRs) is essential for development, survival and activation of B cells. During early developmental stages, immature B cells exclusively express IgM. Cells that pass the immature B cell stage and leave the bone marrow coexpress BCRs of IgM and IgD isotypes, which differ in the usage of the heavy chain (HC) µ versus δ that are generated by al...

Cytokine-Independent Isotype Switching Cognate Antigen Induces High-Affinity B Cell Receptor Ligation by

Redirection of B cell responsiveness by transforming growth factor receptor

The multifunctional transforming growth factor receptor (T R) ligand pair plays a central role in the regulation of lymphocyte homeostasis and prevention of autoimmunity. Although the mechanisms underlying the induction of transcriptional modulators by T R have been studied in considerable detail, relatively little is known about the regulatory pathways targeted. To shed light on the mechanisms...

Autoantigen-B cell antigen receptor interactions that regulate expression of B cell antigen receptor Loci.

Levels of AgR (BCR) expression are regulated during B cell development, activation, and induction of tolerance. The mechanisms responsible for and consequences of this regulation are poorly understood. We have described a class of DNA-based autoantigen-reactive B cell that down-regulates BCR expression during development to mature follicular phenotype. In this study, we show that at immature st...

IgH isotype-specific B cell receptor expression influences B cell fate.

Ig heavy chain (IgH) isotypes (e.g., IgM, IgG, and IgE) are generated as secreted/soluble antibodies (sIg) or as membrane-bound (mIg) B cell receptors (BCRs) through alternative RNA splicing. IgH isotype dictates soluble antibody function, but how mIg isotype influences B cell behavior is not well defined. We examined IgH isotype-specific BCR function by analyzing naturally switched B cells fro...