Infection-induced plasmablasts are a nutrient sink that impairs humoral immunity to malaria.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium parasite-specific antibodies are critical for protection against malaria, yet the development of long-lived and effective humoral immunity against Plasmodium takes many years and multiple rounds of infection and cure. Here, we report that the rapid development of short-lived plasmablasts during experimental malaria unexpectedly hindered parasite control by impeding germinal center responses. Metabolic hyperactivity of plasmablasts resulted in nutrient deprivation of the germinal center reaction, limiting the generation of memory B cell and long-lived plasma cell responses. Therapeutic administration of a single amino acid to experimentally infected mice was sufficient to overcome the metabolic constraints imposed by plasmablasts and enhanced parasite clearance and the formation

SUBMITTER: Vijay R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7316608 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature