Generation of protective T cell-independent antiviral antibody responses in SCID mice reconstituted with follicular or marginal zone B cells

J Immunol. 2009 Jul 1;183(1):518-23. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0900068.

Abstract

B cells generated in the bone marrow of adult mice enter the periphery as transitional B cells and subsequently differentiate into one of two phenotypically and functionally distinct subsets, marginal zone (MZ) or follicular (Fo) B cells. Recent reports indicate, however, that in response to environmental cues, such as lymphopenia, mature Fo B cells can change to display phenotypic markers characteristic of MZ B cells. Previously, we found that splenic B cells transferred to SCID mice responded to polyoma virus (PyV) infection with T cell-independent (TI) IgM and IgG secretion, reducing the viral load and protecting mice from the lethal effect of the infection. The contribution of MZ and Fo B cell subsets to this antiviral TI-2 response, however, has not been addressed. In this study, we show that both sort-purified MZ and Fo B cells generate protective TI Ab responses to PyV infection when transferred into SCID mice. Moreover, the transferred Fo B cells in the spleens of the PyV-infected SCID mice change phenotype, with many of them displaying MZ B cell characteristics. These findings demonstrate the plasticity of the B cell subsets in virus-infected hosts and show for the first time that B cells derived exclusively from Fo B cells can effectively function in antiviral TI-2 responses.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / biosynthesis*
  • Antigens, T-Independent / immunology
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / transplantation*
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / virology
  • Clone Cells
  • Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
  • Immunoglobulin M / biosynthesis
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, SCID
  • Polyomavirus Infections / immunology
  • Polyomavirus Infections / mortality
  • Polyomavirus Infections / prevention & control
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / transplantation
  • Survival Analysis
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / virology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Antigens, T-Independent
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M