Cognate interactions between helper T cells and B cells.
The mechanism by which mammals produce an antibody response after exposure to antigen has intrigued biologists for over a hundred years. Here, Randolph Noelle and Charles Snow review some of the experimental findings since the early 1970s that have advanced understanding of the mechanisms operating during B-cell activation by thymus-dependent (TD) antigens. They also propose a model for B-cell activation that emphasizes the critical role played by direct cellular interactions between B cells and helper T(TH) cells and seek to place into perspective the role played by the membrane immunoglobulin (mlg) receptor in cognate responses.
Noelle
R J
RJ
Dept of Microbiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH 03756.
Snow
E C
EC
D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008954:Models, Biological; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II