B-cell Maturation and Activation (Part 2) Flashcards
The Life of a B-cell
Mature Follicular B cells Reside in the Follicle
The Life of a B cell - Peripheral B cell
- Mature B cells (“Naive”)
- Plasma cells (Short-lived)
Rapidly produce low-affinity antibodies - Germinal center (GC) B cells
Massive proliferation
Antibody selection/maturation - Memory cells
Circulate & tissue-resident
Re-enter germinal center - Plasma cells (Long-lived)
Produced higher-affinity antibodies
Terminally differentiated
Reside in bone marrow
Antibody Response
B cell activation
Naive B cells express IgM and IgD B cell receptor (BCR)
Crosslinking of BCR induces B cell activation
BCR associates with
* Signaling chains (Ig alpha/Ig beta)
* Co-receptors (CD19, CR2/CD21, CD81)
B-cell can also be activated by:
* Toll-like receptor stimulation (LPS)
* CD40 (B-cell) - CD40L (T-cell)
Two types of B cell immune responses
T-dependent:
* Requires T-cells (CD40 & cytokines)
* Induces germinal center response
* Isotypes swtich and affinity maturation
* Slower
T-independent
* Does not require T-cells
* Multivalent antigents (e.g., bacterial polysaccharides)
* Usually with Toll-like receptor stimulation (e.g., LPS)
* Mostly IgM and lack affinity maturation
* Faster
Overview of T-dependent Response
Overview of T-dependent Response
Two Signals Hypothesis
(T-dependent B cell activation)
Signal 1
1. Antigen binds BCR –> triggering signals and endocytosis
2. Antigen –> peptides –> loading MHC class II (pMHC-II)
Signal 2
Activated CD4 Th cell with a TCR specific for the pMHC-II will “help” the B cells. T cell will:
1. Provide CD40L to CD40 on B cells
2. Secret cytokines (IL-21, IL-4, IFN-gamma) to B cells.
Outcome- Activated B cells will proliferate and differentiate into:
* Short-lived plasma cells
* Germinal Center B cells
* Memory B cells
CD40L mutation –> X-linked Hyper IgM Syndrome.
B cells fail to switch from IgM to other isotypes
B-cell antigen presentation
- The B-cell epitope (antibody binds) and T cell epitope (T cell receptor binds) arelikely to be different. E.g., Different position on the same protein or even on a different protein (as long as they are physically linked).
- B-cells can recognize proteins and non-proteins (sugars, small molecules, DNA, etc.)
- Most T-cell only recognize peptides on MHC
Outcome of T-dependent responses
- Short-lived plasma cells
- Isotype switching (e.g., IgM -> IgG)
Class swithc recombination (pre-germinal center) - Germinal center reaction
Germinal Center (GC)
Part I
Specialized microstructure in secondary lymphoid tissues (lymph node/spleen/tonsil)
B cell will undergo massive proliferation
Clonal selection of B cells (B cells with higher affinity will survive)
Antibody undergoes affinity maturation (increase affinity to antigen)
KEY: Germinal center is essential for B cell antibody response
Germinal Center (GC)
Part II
Two distinct structure in the germinal center
* Light zone (selection)
* Dark zone (higher cell density - more proliferation)
* Cyclic reentry (going back and forth between zones)
Follicular dendritic cells (FDC)
* Light zone
* Display protein antigen (immune complexes) to B cells
* Survival signal (BAFF)
Somatic Hypermutation (SHM)
Creates B cell clones with varying degrees of affinity to antiges for “clonal selection”
Random mutations at the V regions of IgH and IgL (antigen binding)
Clonal selection and affinity maturation - Step 1
Clonal selection and affinity maturation - Step 2