title: Antigen activation of human B lymphocytes bearing artificial antigen receptors.
abstract: When highly purified human and murine B cells are challenged in vitro with certain so called "T cell-independent" activators such as the polyclonal B cell activator lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or the clonally specific B cell activator dinitrophenyl-conjugated polymerized flagellin (DNP-POL), mouse, but not human, cells differentiate into immunoglobulin-secreting cells. However, results from this study show that DNP-POL can cause human B cell differentiation in a T cell-independent manner when the antigen is concentrated onto the cells via artificially incorporated palmitate-modified anti-DNP mouse IgA molecules. This response is comparable in magnitude to that induced by a T cell-dependent polyclonal B cell activator, pokeweed mitogen, in unfractionated mononuclear cell cultures, suggesting that DNP-POL induced polyclonal B cell differentiation. DNP-POL binding to the artificial receptor molecules on B cells did not cause cellular proliferation, even in unfractionated mononuclear cell populations. These results are similar to those obtained in previous studies using mouse B cells in which the artificial receptor was unable to act as a transmembrane signaling element. From these studies, we conclude that B cells express clonally unrestricted, presumably low-avidity, endogenous receptor for POL, and that signaling through this receptor activates B cell differentiation but not cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Zschokke
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Barisas
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Roess
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004140:Dinitrophenols / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D005408:Flagellin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D010168:Palmitates / Q000276:immunology; D011946:Receptors, Antigen / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D004140:Dinitrophenols; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D008934:Mitogens; D010168:Palmitates; D011946:Receptors, Antigen; D005408:Flagellin