title: Interleukin-2 inhibits germinal center formation by limiting T follicular helper cell differentiation.
abstract: T follicular helper (Tfh) cells promote T cell-dependent humoral immune responses by providing T cell help to B cells and by promoting germinal center (GC) formation and long-lived antibody responses. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control Tfh cell differentiation in vivo are incompletely understood. Here we show that interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration impaired influenza-specific GCs, long-lived IgG responses, and Tfh cells. IL-2 did not directly inhibit GC formation, but instead suppressed the differentiation of Tfh cells, thereby hindering the maintenance of influenza-specific GC B cells. Our data demonstrate that IL-2 is a critical factor that regulates successful Tfh and B cell responses in vivo and regulates Tfh cell development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballesteros-Tato
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moquin
authors.forename: Pamela Scott
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Frances E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Troy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Randall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C490010:Bcl6 protein, mouse; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C508018:Il2ra protein, mouse; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007376:Interleukin-2; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6