Memory B cells are essential for generating rapid, robust secondary antibody responses. It has been thought that the unique cytoplasmic domain of the IgG causes the prompt activation of antigen-experienced IgG memory B cells.

To assess this model, the authors have generated a novel mouse containing IgG1 B cells that have never encountered antigen. They found that, upon challenge, antigen-experienced IgG1 memory B cells rapidly differentiated into plasma cells, but these non-experienced IgG1 B cells did not, suggesting the importance of the stimulation history. In addition, their results suggest that repression of the Bach2 transcription factor, which results from antigen experience, contributes to predisposition of IgG1 memory B cells to differentiate into plasma cells.

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Contact:

Tomohiro KUROSAKI
Lymphocyte Differentiation
Immunology Frontier Research Center (WPI-IFReC), Osaka University