Marginal zone precursor B cells as cellular agents for type I IFN–promoted antigen transport in autoimmunity

JH Wang, J Li, Q Wu, PA Yang, RD Pawar… - The journal of …, 2010 - journals.aai.org
JH Wang, J Li, Q Wu, PA Yang, RD Pawar, S Xie, L Timares, C Raman, DD Chaplin, L Lu
The journal of immunology, 2010journals.aai.org
The pathogenic connection of type I IFN and its role in regulating the migration response of
Ag delivery by B cells into lymphoid follicles in an autoimmune condition has not been well-
identified. Here, we show that there was a significantly larger population of marginal zone
precursor (MZ-P) B cells, defined as being IgM hi CD1d hi CD21 hi CD23 hi in the spleens of
autoimmune BXD2 mice compared with B6 mice. MZ-P B cells were highly proliferative
compared with marginal zone (MZ) and follicular (FO) B cells. The intrafollicular …
Abstract
The pathogenic connection of type I IFN and its role in regulating the migration response of Ag delivery by B cells into lymphoid follicles in an autoimmune condition has not been well-identified. Here, we show that there was a significantly larger population of marginal zone precursor (MZ-P) B cells, defined as being IgM hi CD1d hi CD21 hi CD23 hi in the spleens of autoimmune BXD2 mice compared with B6 mice. MZ-P B cells were highly proliferative compared with marginal zone (MZ) and follicular (FO) B cells. The intrafollicular accumulation of MZ-P B cells in proximity to germinal centers (GCs) in BXD2 mice facilitated rapid Ag delivery to the GC area, whereas Ag-carrying MZ B cells, residing predominantly in the periphery, had a lower ability to carry Ag into the GCs. IFN-α, generated by plasmacytoid dendritic cells, induced the expression of CD69 and suppressed the sphingosine-1-phosphate-induced chemotactic response, promoting FO-oriented Ag transport by MZ-P B cells. Knockout of type I IFN receptor in BXD2 (BXD2-Ifnαr−/−) mice substantially diffused the intrafollicular MZ-P B cell conglomeration and shifted their location to the FO-MZ border near the marginal sinus, making Ag delivery to the FO interior less efficient. The development of spontaneous GCs was decreased in BXD2-Ifnαr−/− mice. Together, our results suggest that the MZ-P B cells are major Ag-delivery B cells and that the FO entry of these B cells is highly regulated by type I IFN–producing plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the marginal sinus in the spleens of autoimmune BXD2 mice.
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