Distinct germinal center selection at local sites shapes memory B cell response to viral escape.

ABSTRACT: Respiratory influenza virus infection induces cross-reactive memory B cells targeting invariant regions of viral escape mutants. However, cellular events dictating the cross-reactive memory B cell responses remain to be fully defined. Here, we demonstrated that lung-resident memory compartments at the site of infection, rather than those in secondary lymphoid organs, harbor elevated frequencies of cross-reactive B cells that mediate neutralizing antibody responses to viral escape. The elevated cross-reactivity in the lung memory compartments was correlated with high numbers of VH mutations and was dependent on a developmental pathway involving persistent germinal center (GC) responses. The persistent GC responses were focused in the infected lungs in association with prolonged persistence

SUBMITTER: Adachi Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4577849 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature