title: Protection of T cells from activation-induced cell death by Fas+ B cells.
abstract: Naive CD4+ T cells proliferate strongly in response to stimulation by superantigens such as staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). However, when these same cells revert to a resting phenotype and are subjected to restimulation with either SEB or anti-CD3, the majority of these SEB-responsive cells undergo Fas ligand (FasL)-mediated activation-induced cell death (AICD). We investigated the impact of Fas expression on T cell AICD by utilizing B cell stimulators that lacked functional FasL and either expressed or did not express the Fas receptor. Our results indicate that B cells play an important role in modulating the level of T cell AICD via the Fas/FasL pathway. Activated B cells expressing high levels of Fas receptor can redirect the FasL expressed by T cells primed to undergo AICD away from the T cells and prevent the induction of AICD in these cells. Furthermore, B cells stimulated through both the CD40 receptor and membrane IgM appear to mediate a stronger protective effect on T cells by virtue of their resistance to FasL-mediated cytolysis. These observations suggest a mechanism by which normal B cell and T cell responses to foreign antigen are maintained, while responses to self antigen are not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine 02118, USA.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marshak-Rothstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D019463:Mice, Inbred MRL lpr; D008954:Models, Biological; D051381:Rats; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C505658:Fasl protein, mouse; C505662:Faslg protein, rat; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019014:fas Receptor; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal