Regulation of CD40 ligand expression and use of recombinant CD40 ligand for studying B cell growth and differentiation.
Helper T cell activation leads to transient expression of a ligand for the B cell surface protein, CD40. CD40 ligand can deliver helper T cell-derived contact signals to B lymphocytes that drive B cell activation and proliferation. Regulation of expression of CD40 ligand is analogous to that of other helper T cell-derived lymphokines. A soluble form of CD40 ligand is capable of delivering proliferative signals to B cells only when cross-linked or when IL-4 is added. Recombinant CD40 ligand in membrane vesicles can be used to develop in vitro systems for studying class switching, clonal selection, and affinity maturation in normal B lymphocytes.
Kehry
M R
MR
Department of Inflammatory Diseases, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc, Ridgefield, CT 06877.
Castle
B E
BE
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D023201:CD40 Ligand