Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Germinal Center B Cell and T Follicular Helper Cell Development Initiates in the Interfollicular Zone

2011; Cell Press; Volume: 34; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.immuni.2011.03.024

1097-4180

Steven M. Kerfoot, Gur Yaari, Jaymin R. Patel, Kody Johnson, David G. Gonzalez, Steven H. Kleinstein, Ann M. Haberman,

Immunotherapy and Immune Responses

We identify the interfollicular (IF) zone as the site where germinal center B cell and T follicular helper (Tfh) cell differentiation initiates. For the first 2 days postimmunization, antigen-specific T and B cells remained confined within the IF zone, formed long-lived interactions, and upregulated the transcriptional repressor Bcl6. T cells also acquired the Tfh cell markers CXCR5, PD-1, and GL7. Responding B and T cells migrated to the follicle interior directly from the IF zone, T cell immigration preceding B cells by 1 day. Notably, in the absence of cognate B cells, Tfh cells still formed and migrated to the follicle. However, without such B cells, PD-1, ICOS, and GL7 were no longer expressed on follicular Bcl6hi T cells that nevertheless persisted in the follicle. Thus, Ag-specific B cells are required for the maintenance of the PD-1hiICOShiGL7hi Tfh cell phenotype within the follicle, but not for their initial differentiation in the IF zone.