IL-12 Blocks Tfh Cell Differentiation during Salmonella Infection, thereby Contributing to Germinal Center Suppression.

ABSTRACT: Germinal centers (GC) are crucial for the formation of long-lived humoral immunity. Many pathogens suppress GC, including Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STm), but the mechanisms driving suppression remain unknown. We report that neither plasmablasts nor STm-specific B cells are required for GC suppression in mice. Rather, we identify that interleukin-12 (IL-12), but not interferon-γ (IFN-γ), directly suppresses T follicular helper (Tfh) cell differentiation of T cells intrinsically. Administering recombinant IL-12 during nitrophenyl-Chicken Gamma Globulin (NP-CGG) immunization also suppresses Tfh cell differentiation and GC B cells, indicating that IL-12 is sufficient to suppress Tfh cell differentiation independent of STm infection. Recombinant IL-12 induces high levels of T-bet

SUBMITTER: Elsner RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6908568 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature