Invariant natural killer T cells direct B cell responses to cognate lipid antigen in an IL-21-dependent manner

IL King, A Fortier, M Tighe, J Dibble, GFM Watts… - Nature …, 2012 - nature.com
IL King, A Fortier, M Tighe, J Dibble, GFM Watts, N Veerapen, AM Haberman, GS Besra
Nature immunology, 2012nature.com
Mouse invariant natural killer T cells (i NKT cells) provide cognate and noncognate help for
lipid and protein-specific B cells, respectively. However, the long-term outcome for B cells
after cognate help is provided by i NKT cells is unknown at present. Here we found that
cognate i NKT cell help resulted in a B cell differentiation program characterized by
extrafollicular plasmablasts, germinal-center formation, affinity maturation and a robust
primary immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody response that was uniquely dependent on i NKT …
Abstract
Mouse invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells) provide cognate and noncognate help for lipid and protein-specific B cells, respectively. However, the long-term outcome for B cells after cognate help is provided by iNKT cells is unknown at present. Here we found that cognate iNKT cell help resulted in a B cell differentiation program characterized by extrafollicular plasmablasts, germinal-center formation, affinity maturation and a robust primary immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody response that was uniquely dependent on iNKT cell–derived interleukin 21 (IL-21). However, cognate help from iNKT cells did not generate an enhanced humoral memory response. Thus, cognate iNKT cell help for lipid-specific B cells induces a unique signature that is a hybrid of classic T cell–dependent and T cell–independent type 2 B cell responses.
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