title: Anti-CD180 (RP105) activates B cells to rapidly produce polyclonal Ig via a T cell and MyD88-independent pathway.
abstract: CD180 is homologous to TLR4 and regulates TLR4 signaling, yet its function is unclear. We report that injection of anti-CD180 mAb into mice induced rapid Ig production of all classes and subclasses, with the exception of IgA and IgG2b, with up to 50-fold increases in serum IgG1 and IgG3. IgG production after anti-CD180 injection was not due to reactivation of memory B cells and was retained in T cell-deficient (TCR knockout [KO]), CD40 KO, IL-4 KO, and MyD88 KO mice. Anti-CD180 rapidly increased both transitional and mature B cells, with especially robust increases in transitional B cell number, marginal zone B cell proliferation, and CD86, but not CD80, expression. In contrast, anti-CD40 induced primarily follicular B cell and myeloid expansion, with increases in expression of CD80 and CD95 but not CD86. The expansion of splenic B cells was due, in part, to proliferation and occurred in wild-type and TCR KO mice, whereas T cell expansion occurred in wild-type, but not in B cell-deficient, mice, indicating a direct role for B cells in CD180 stimulation in vivo. Combination of anti-CD180 with various MyD88-dependent TLR ligands biased B cell fate because coinjection diminished Ig production, but purified B cells exhibited synergistic proliferation. Anti-CD180 had no effect on cytokine production from B cells, but it increased IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α production in combination with LPS or CpG. Thus, CD180 stimulation induces intrinsic B cell proliferation and differentiation, causing rapid increases in IgG, and integrates MyD88-dependent TLR signals to regulate proliferation, cytokine production, and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine; University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. jchaplin@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Jay W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chaplin
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Edward A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ledbetter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D053594:Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D007136:Immunoglobulins; C490500:Ly78 protein, mouse; C507780:Myd88 protein, mouse; D053594:Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88