Antigen-Presenting B Cells Program the Efferent Lymph T Helper Cell Response

• B cells interact with T follicular helper (Tfh) cells in germinal centers (GCs) to generate high-affinity antibodies. Much less is known about how cognate T-B-cell interactions influence Th cells that enter circulation and peripheral tissues. Therefore, we generated mice lacking MHC-II expressing B cells and, by thoracic duct cannulation, analyzed Th cells in the efferent lymph at defined intervals post-immunization. Focusing on gut-draining mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), we show that antigen-specific alpha(4)beta(+)(7) gut-homing effector Th cells enter the circulation prior to CXCR5(+)PD-1(+) Tfh-like cells. B cells appear to have no or limited impact on the early generation and egress of gut-homing Th cells but are critical for the subsequent appearance of Tfh-like cells that peak in the lymph before GCs have developed. At this stage, antigen-presenting B cells also reduce the proportion of alpha(4)beta(+)(7) Th cells in the MLN and efferent lymph. Furthermore, cognate B-cell interaction drives a broad transcriptional program in Th cells, including IL-4 that is confined to the Tfh cell lineage. The IL-4-producing Tfh-like cells originate from Bcl6(+) precursors in the LNs and have gut-homing capacity. Hence, B cells program the efferent lymph Th cell response within a limited window of time after antigenic challenge.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Immunologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Immunology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Immunologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Immunology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Microbiology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

efferent lymph

T cells

B cells

gut-homing CD4(+) T cells

small

intestinal lamina propria

follicular-helper

dendritic cells

bcl6 expression

differentiation

interleukin-21

generation

induction

dynamics

subsets

Immunology

gut-homing CD4 T cells

small intestinal lamina propria

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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