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.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Medicine, Pediatrics, Microbiology and Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-3300, USA.
Max D
MD
Cooper
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