The quantity of CD40 signaling determines the differentiation of B cells into functionally distinct memory cell subsets.

ABSTRACT: In mice, memory B (B_mem) cells can be divided into two subpopulations: CD80^hi B_mem cells, which preferentially differentiate into plasma cells; and CD80^lo B_mem cells, which become germinal center (GC) B cells during a recall response. We demonstrate that these distinct responses can be B-cell-intrinsic and essentially independent of B-cell receptor (BCR) isotypes. Furthermore, we find that the development of CD80^hi B_mem cells in the primary immune response requires follicular helper T cells, a relatively strong CD40 signal and a high-affinity BCR on B cells, whereas the development of CD80^lo B_mem cells does not. Quantitative differences in CD40 stimulation were enough to recapitulate the dist

SUBMITTER: Koike T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6636905 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature