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| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | CCR7-deficient mice develop atypically persistent germinal centers in response to thymus-independent type 2 antigens |
| Creators Name: | Achtman, A.H., Höpken, U.E., Bernert, C. and Lipp, M. |
| Abstract: | Thymus-independent type 2 (TI-2) antigens are repetitive antigens capable of eliciting antibody responses without T cell help. They are important in the immune response against encapsulated bacteria and as a rapid first line of defense against pathogens. TI-2 antigens induce strong proliferation in extrafollicular foci. However, any germinal centers forming in response to TI-2 antigens involute synchronously 5 days after immunization. This is thought to be caused by the lack of T cell help. Surprisingly, immunization of mice deficient for the homeostatic chemokine receptor CCR7 with TI-2 antigens resulted not only in the expected, vigorous extrafollicular plasma cell response but also in persisting splenic germinal centers. This was observed for two different TI-2 antigens, heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae and (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl-Ficoll. Germinal centers induced by TI-2 and thymus-dependent (TD) antigens were located in the periarteriolar area of the white pulp in CCR7 knockout mice, corresponding to the T zone of wild-type (WT) mice. The TI-2-induced germinal centers contained peripheral rings of follicular dendritic cells and unusually for TI-2-induced germinal centers, T cells. The licensing responsible for their atypical persistence did not endow TI-2-induced germinal centers with the full range of characteristics of classic germinal centers induced by TD antigens. Thus, class-switching, affinity maturation, and memory B cell generation were not increased in CCR7-deficient mice. It seems unlikely that a defect in regulatory T cell (Treg) location was responsible for the atypical persistence of TI-2-induced germinal centers, as Tregs were comparably distributed in germinal centers of CCR7-deficient and WT mice. |
| Keywords: | Homeostatic Chemokine, Spleen, Antibody, TI-2, NP-Ficoll, Animals, Mice |
| Source: | Journal of Leukocyte Biology |
| ISSN: | 0741-5400 |
| Publisher: | Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology |
| Volume: | 85 |
| Number: | 3 |
| Page Range: | 409-417 |
| Date: | March 2009 |
| Official Publication: | https://doi.org/10.1189/jlb.0308162 |
| PubMed: | View item in PubMed |
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