title: Functional studies examining the subpopulation of human B lymphocytes responding to high molecular weight B cell growth factor.
abstract: Mature human B lymphocytes perform many functions including antibody secretion, Ag presentation, preservation of memory for Ag, and lymphokine secretion. Individual resting B cells receive multiple sequential signals that determine the function(s) that will be performed by those cells. Activation signals such as Ag or Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (Sac) stimulate overlapping but different subpopulations of B cells. After activation, B cells may be induced to proliferate by a variety of B cell growth factors (BCGF) including IL-2, IL-4, TNF-alpha, low molecular weight BCGF (LMW-BCGF), and high molecular weight BCGF (HMW-BCGF). Little information exists to explain why so many different BCGFs are involved with human B cell proliferation. The current studies were designed to examine the role HMW-BCGF plays in selecting B cells for particular functions. HMW-BCGF but not LMW-BCGF was found to inhibit Ig secretion when it was included in culture with Sac-activated B cells and B cell differentiation factors (BCDFs) including IL-6. Sorting resting B lymphocytes into surface IgD+ and IgD- populations and then stimulating each population with anti-mu revealed that the cells most responsive to HMW-BCGF resided in the surface IgD- sorted population. Sorting activated B lymphocytes into BA5 (HMW-BCGFR)+ and BA5- populations revealed that BA5+ B cells stimulated with BCDF (in the absence of HMW-BCGF) produced predominantly IgG, whereas the BA5- population produced both IgG and IgM. Finally, expansion of peripheral B cells from tetanus toxoid-immunized donors with either HMW-BCGF or LMW-BCGF revealed that the HMW-BCGF-expanded population produced predominantly IgG tetanus-specific antibody in the presence of BCDF (in the absence of HMW-BCGF), whereas the LMW-BCGF-expanded population produced IgM much greater than IgG tetanus-specific antibody. Thus, HMW-BCGF may function to expand a subpopulation of B cells for memory B cell functions.
authors: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Ambrus
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Chesky
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Stephany
authors: P
authors: P
authors: McFarland
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Mostowski
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Fauci
mesh_terms: D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000502:physiology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D007072:Immunoglobulin D / Q000032:analysis; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus
chemical_list: D007072:Immunoglobulin D; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen; D015847:Interleukin-4