Activation of rheumatoid factor-specific B cells is antigen dependent and occurs preferentially outside of germinal centers in the lupus-prone NZM2410 mouse model.

ABSTRACT: AM14 rheumatoid factor (RF) B cells in the MRL/lpr mice are activated by dual BCR and TLR7/9 ligation and differentiate into plasmablasts via an extrafollicular (EF) route. It was not known whether this mechanism of activation of RF B cells applied to other lupus-prone mouse models. We investigated the mechanisms by which RF B cells break tolerance in the NZM2410-derived B6.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 (TC) strain in comparison with C57BL/6 (B6) controls, each expressing the AM14 H chain transgene in the presence or absence of the IgG2a(a) autoantigen. The TC, but not B6, genetic background promotes the differentiation of RF B cells into Ab-forming cells (AFCs) in the presence of the autoantigen. Activated RF B cells preferentially differentiated into plasmablasts in EF zones. Contrary to the MRL/lpr st

SUBMITTER: Sang A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4119566 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature