Exploring lymphocyte differentiation pathways.
Highlights in a 4-decade exploration of lymphocyte differentiation begin with comparative studies in birds and mammals leading to recognition of the separate T- and B-cell differentiation pathways and their cooperative interaction. The global effects of aborting IgM B-cell development with anti-mu antibodies indicated that B cells can undergo immunoglobulin isotype switching. A search for the mammalian bursa equivalent that began with an extended excursion through the gut-associated lymphoepithelial tissues ultimately led to the hematopoietic tissue origin of mammalian B cells. The identification of the precursors of B cells in hematopoietic tissues provided an expanded view of the life history of B cells. A recurring theme in this essay is the interplay between understanding normal lymphocyte differentiation and the defects that underlie immunodeficiency diseases and lymphoid malignancies.
Cooper
Max D
MD
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Medicine, Pediatrics, Microbiology and Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-3300, USA.
D000486:Allergy and Immunology / Q000266:history; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes