Lecture 15: B Cell Maturation

Question 1

B lymphocytes mature in the

Answer 1

bone marrow but can also develop in neonatal spleen and liver, as well as generation of B cells in liver and spleen in emergency hematopoiesis (e.g. after chemotherapy)

Question 2

B cell receptor engagement leads to proliferation and transition into

Answer 2

plasma cells/effector B cells

Question 3

True or false:

Generation of new B cells continuous throughout life (contrasting T cell development).

Answer 3

True.

Question 4

CLP can develop into

Answer 4

B cells, T cells and NK cells

Question 5

Stromal cells in the bone marrow are critical for

Answer 5

B cell development

Question 6

Which developmental cells rearrange the heavy chain?

Answer 6

Pro B cells

Question 7

Essential factors for B cell development

Answer 7

FLT-3
Stem Cell Factor (SCF)
CXCL12
E2A+EBF
RAG

Question 8

Bruton’s X-linked

agammaglobulinemia

Answer 8

Pre-BCR signalling requires Bruton’s tyrosine
kinase.
A heavy chain is made but no pre-BCR is made.

Question 9

Proliferation of developmental cells with identical heavy chains occurs during which phase?

Answer 9

Large pre-B cell

Question 10

True or false:

Light chain locus rearrangement occurs on both alleles.

Answer 10

False, light chain locus rearrangement occurs only on one allele even though there are four possible gene options

Question 11

What process ensures that a B cell only makes one type of antibody?

Answer 11

Allelic exclusion