title: Immunology. Long live the mature B cell--a baffling mystery resolved.
abstract: What determines whether transitional B cells newly emerged from the bone marrow will differentiate further to become mature, long-lived, circulating B lymphocytes? In a Perspective, Waldschmidt and Noelle discuss new findings showing that the TNF family ligand BAFF and its receptor BAFF-R are crucial for selecting transitional B cells into the mature B cell pool (Thompson et al., Schiemann et al.).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Waldschmidt
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Noelle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D053265:B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor; D053301:B-Cell Maturation Antigen; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002470:Cell Survival; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D053303:Transmembrane Activator and CAML Interactor Protein; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D053265:B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor; D053301:B-Cell Maturation Antigen; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C486361:Tnfrsf13b protein, mouse; C486662:Tnfrsf13c protein, mouse; C490176:Tnfrsf17 protein, mouse; C505720:Tnfsf13b protein, mouse; D053303:Transmembrane Activator and CAML Interactor Protein; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha