Visualization of splenic marginal zone B-cell shuttling and follicular B-cell egress.

ABSTRACT: The splenic marginal zone is a unique microenvironment where resident immune cells are exposed to the open blood circulation. Even though it has an important role in responses against blood-borne antigens, lymphocyte migration in the marginal zone has not been intravitally visualized due to challenges associated with achieving adequate imaging depth in this abdominal organ. Here we develop a two-photon microscopy procedure to study marginal zone and follicular B-cell movement in the live mouse spleen. We show that marginal zone B cells are highly motile and exhibit long membrane extensions. Marginal zone B cells shuttle between the marginal zone and follicles with at least one-fifth of the cells exchanging between compartments per hour, a behaviour that explains their ability to deliver an

SUBMITTER: Arnon TI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3561487 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature