BAFF is a survival and maturation factor for mouse B cells.
Human B cell-activating factor (BAFF) induces mouse surface IgM+ B cells of the immature type from bone marrow and of the immature types 1 and 2 from spleen, as well as of the mature type from spleen to increased longevity in tissue culture. BAFF does so polyclonally and without inducing proliferation in any of these B cell subpopulations. BAFF induces phenotypic and functional maturation of immature to mature B cells so that all immature cells loose C1qRp (AA4.1, 493) expression and type 1 immature cells up-regulate IgD, CD21 and CD23. Immature B cells of types 1 and 2, upon pre-incubation with BAFF, change their reactiveness to Ig-specific antibodies so that they no longer enter apoptosis but now proliferate. However, BAFF does not seem to overcome negative selection of developing immature B cells in vitro.
Department of Immunology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Antonius.Rolink@unibas.ch
Antonius G
AG
Rolink
Jürg
J
Tschopp
Pascal
P
Schneider
Fritz
F
Melchers
D000818:Animals; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; C505720:Tnfsf13b protein, mouse; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha