Presentation of antigen by B cells: functional dependence on radiation dose, interleukins, cellular activation, and differential glycosylation.
Whether resting B cells can present antigen to T cells is controversial. Several factors can influence the outcome of an assessment of the presenting function of resting B cells: the method of purifying resting B cells and maintaining them in culture without altering their resting state, the sensitivity of resting B cells to gamma-irradiation, the activation state of the T cells used to assess presenting function, and the requirement for exogenous interleukin 1. We have examined all of these variables and find that one adherent antigen-presenting cell is functionally equivalent to four LPS-activated B cells and to 1000 resting B cells. In addition, we have examined the potential functional relevance of the differential glycosylation of Ia molecules on resting B cells compared with adherent antigen-presenting cells. Altering the surface glycosylation of resting B cells by neuraminidase treatment results in a 25-fold increase in B cell antigen presentation without altering their resting state. More important, among antigen-presenting cells the effect of neuraminidase is limited to resting B cells. It also appears to involve a restricting element such as the Ia molecule rather than total cell surface charge, because neuraminidase treatment has no effect on the capacity of resting B cells to serve as accessory cells in the Con A response.
D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D007399:Interphase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D007375:Interleukin-1; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009439:Neuraminidase