Evidence of marginal-zone B cell-positive selection in spleen.
Antigen receptor-mediated signaling is critical for the development and survival of B cells. However, it has not been established whether B cell development requires a signal from self-ligand engagement at the immature stage, a process known as "positive selection." Here, using a monoclonal B cell receptor (BCR) mouse line, specific for the self-Thy-1/CD90 glycoprotein, we demonstrate that BCR crosslinking by low-dose self-antigen promotes survival of immature B cells in culture. In spleen, an increase in BCR signaling strength, induced by low-dose self-antigen, directed naive immature B cells to mature, not into the default follicular B cell fate, but instead into the marginal-zone B cell subset. These data indicate that positive selection can occur in developing B cells and that BCR signal strength is a key factor in deciding between two functionally distinct mature B cell compartments in the microenvironment of the spleen.
Wen
Lijun
L
Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
Brill-Dashoff
Joni
J
Shinton
Susan A
SA
Asano
Masanao
M
Hardy
Richard R
RR
Hayakawa
Kyoko
K
D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D017637:Clonal Deletion / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D051883:Receptor, Notch2; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; C497765:Notch2 protein, mouse; D051883:Receptor, Notch2; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens