title: A blood-borne antigen induces rapid T-B cell contact: a potential mechanism for tolerance induction.
abstract: Understanding the difference between the development of a productive T-cell response and tolerance is central to discerning how the immune system functions. Intravenous injection of soluble protein is thought to mimic the presentation of self-serum and orally introduced antigens. It is generally toleragenic. The current view is that this outcome reflects the failure of 'immunogenic' dendritic cells to relocate to the T-cell zone of the secondary lymphoid tissues. Here, using a peptide/I-Ek tetramer and antibodies to stain splenic sections, we showed that antigen-specific T cells were activated in the spleen within hours of injection or feeding of protein. The activated T cells were found to be located at the T-B junction, the bridging zone and the B-cell area, interacting directly with B cells. In addition, B cells gain the ability to present antigen. Our results suggest a way for T cells to be stimulated by blood-borne antigen presented by naïve B cells, a potential mechanism of tolerance induction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gütgemann
authors.forename: Jama M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Darling
authors.forename: Harry B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Mark M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Yueh-Hsiu
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chien
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D003574:Cytochrome c Group