Cutting edge: BLyS enables survival of transitional and mature B cells through distinct mediators

BL Hsu, SM Harless, RC Lindsley… - The Journal of …, 2002 - journals.aai.org
BL Hsu, SM Harless, RC Lindsley, DM Hilbert, MP Cancro
The Journal of Immunology, 2002journals.aai.org
These studies characterize BLyS responsiveness and receptor expression among
transitional and mature peripheral B cells. The results show a maturation-associated
increase in BLyS binding capacity that reflects differential expression patterns of the three
BLyS receptors. Accordingly, BLyS administration enlarges only late transitional and mature
peripheral B (MB) cell compartments. Furthermore, bromodeoxyuridine labeling and cell
cycle analyses show these effects are mediated through enhanced proportional survival of …
Abstract
These studies characterize BLyS responsiveness and receptor expression among transitional and mature peripheral B cells. The results show a maturation-associated increase in BLyS binding capacity that reflects differential expression patterns of the three BLyS receptors. Accordingly, BLyS administration enlarges only late transitional and mature peripheral B (MB) cell compartments. Furthermore, bromodeoxyuridine labeling and cell cycle analyses show these effects are mediated through enhanced proportional survival of cells traversing the T2, T3, and MB cell stages, rather than by causing proliferation or slowing transit within these subsets. Despite similar effects on survival, BLyS up-regulates the antiapoptotic genes A1and bcl-x L in MB cells but not immature B cells. Together, these findings show that, while BLyS influences B cell survival in several peripheral differentiation subsets, the downstream mediators differ, thus providing the first direct evidence for an established B lineage survival system whose intermediates change as B cells mature.
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