title: B cell superantigens: a microbe's answer to innate-like B cells and natural antibodies.
abstract: Marginal zone B cells and B-1 cells have been termed innate-like B cells as they express limited repertoires that play special roles in immune defenses against common infections. These B cells are the sources of natural antibodies and are capable of highly accelerated clonal responses that help counter blood-borne infections. We have characterized a class of microbial product with highly adapted binding interactions with host immunoglobulins/B cell receptors (BCRs), which enable the targeting of large supra-clonal sets of B cells for activation-associated apoptotic death. In recent studies, we have shown that all B cells with V region-targeted BCRs are susceptible. However, compared to follicular B cells, in vivo exposure preferentially causes innate-like B cells to undergo induced death with subsequent long-lasting supra-clonal depletion and immune tolerance. Based on these properties, it is likely that B cell superantigens influence the pathogenesis of some common infections, but also may provide novel therapeutic opportunities to treat B cell neoplastic and autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatic Disease Core Center, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0663, USA. cgoodyear@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Carl S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Goodyear
authors.forename: Gregg J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Silverman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D001665:Binding Sites; D017637:Clonal Deletion; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010641:Phenotype; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018089:Superantigens
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C055047:Ig L-binding protein, Peptostreptococcus; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; D018089:Superantigens