title: Differentiation and homing of IgA-secreting cells.
abstract: Most antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) in mucosal tissues produce immunoglobulin A (IgA), the most abundant immunoglobulin in the body and the main class of antibody found in secretions. IgA-ASCs differentiate in the mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues and are usually considered as a homogeneous population of cells. However, IgA-ASCs that travel to the small intestine have unique characteristics in terms of their migratory requirements. These IgA-ASCs require the homing molecules alpha4beta7 and CCR9 to interact with their ligands, mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 and CCL25, which are constitutively expressed in the small intestine. Indeed, recent work has shown that IgA-ASCs specific for the small bowel are generated under different conditions as compared with IgA-ASCs in other mucosal compartments. Moreover, the mechanisms inducing IgA class switching may also vary according to the tissue where IgA-ASCs differentiate. Here we describe the mechanisms involved in the differentiation of IgA-ASCs in mucosal compartments, in particular those involved in the generation of gut-homing IgA-ASCs.
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. j_rodrigo_mora@harvard.hms.edu
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: U H
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: von Andrian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000502:physiology*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology; D016023:Integrins / Q000276:immunology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D009088:Mucoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D054388:Receptors, CCR / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C119309:CC chemokine receptor 9; C108074:CCL25 protein, human; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D016023:Integrins; C504265:MADCAM1 protein, human; D009088:Mucoproteins; D054388:Receptors, CCR; C071777:integrin alpha4beta7