title: A model B-cell superantigen and the immunobiology of B lymphocytes.
abstract: Recent reports have shown that protein A of Staphylococcus aureus (SpA) is a specific toxin for B cells by virtue of specific binding interactions with conserved sites on the V(H) region of the B-cell antigen receptor. The structural basis for these Fab-binding interactions has recently been revealed in crystallographic analyses, which have demonstrated many similarities with the interactions of T-cell superantigens. Investigations of the in vivo response to SpA have illustrated how a B-cell superantigen can be used to provide a window for examining fundamental principles that underlie the immunobiology of B lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0663, USA.
authors.forename: Gregg J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: Carl S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Goodyear
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000276:immunology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D018089:Superantigens