SWAP-70 deficiency causes high-affinity plasma cell generation despite impaired germinal center formation

Laurence Quemeneur, Veronique Angeli, Michael Chopin, Rolf Jessberger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

26 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Germinal centers (GCs) are lymphoid tissue structures central to the generation of long-lived, high-affinity, antibody-forming B cells. However, induction, maintenance, and regulation of GCs are not sufficiently understood. The F-actin-binding, Rac-interacting protein SWAP-70 is strongly expressed in activated B cells like those in B follicles. Recent work suggests that SWAP-70 is involved in B-cell activation, migration, and homing. Therefore, we investigated the role of SWAP-70 in the T-dependent immune response, in GC formation, and in differentiation into plasma and memory B cells. Compared with wt, sheep red blood cell (SRBC)-, or NP-KLH-immunized SWAP-70-/- mice have strongly reduced numbers of GCs and GC-specific B cells. However, SWAP-70-/--NP-specific B cells accumulate outside of the B follicles, and SWAP-70-/-mice show more plasma cells in the red pulp and in the bone marrow, and increased NP-specific Ig and antibody-forming B cells. Yet the memory response is impaired. Thus, SWAP-70 deficiency uncouples GC formation from T-dependent antibody and long-lived plasma cell production and causes ex-trafollicular generation of high-affinity plasma cells, but does not adequately support the memory response.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2714-2724
Number of pages11
JournalBlood
Volume111
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2008
Externally publishedYes

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