Competition for follicular niches excludes self-reactive cells from the recirculating B-cell repertoire.
Two different approaches to follow clones of B lymphocytes in a diverse preimmune repertoire reveal a new process for eliminating self-reactive cells in the periphery which depends on competition between cells with different specificities. A key feature of this censoring mechanism is the selective exclusion of self-antigen-binding B cells from the normal migration route into lymphoid follicles, resulting in their premature death. This is a striking example of homeostasis by cellular competition for limiting niches and may explain the paradoxical association between immunodeficiency and autoimmunity.
Cyster
J G
JG
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305.
Hartley
S B
SB
Goodnow
C C
CC
D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002678:Chimera; D017637:Clonal Deletion; D000939:Epitopes; D007072:Immunoglobulin D / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009113:Muramidase / Q000276:immunology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017634:Self Tolerance; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D001324:Autoantigens; D000939:Epitopes; D007072:Immunoglobulin D; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D009113:Muramidase