Memory B-cell persistence is independent of persisting immunizing antigen

Mitsuo Maruyama, Kong-Peng Lam and Klaus Rajewsky ()
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Mitsuo Maruyama: Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne
Kong-Peng Lam: Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne
Klaus Rajewsky: Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne

Nature, 2000, vol. 407, issue 6804, 636-642

Abstract: Abstract Immunological memory in the antibody system is generated in T-cell-dependent responses and carried by long-lived memory B cells that recognize antigen by high-affinity antibodies1,2. But it remains controversial1 whether these B cells represent true ‘memory’ cells (that is, their maintenance is independent of the immunizing antigen), or whether they are a product of a chronic immune response driven by the immunizing antigen, which can be retained in the organism for extended time periods on the surface of specialized antigen-presenting cells (follicular dendritic cells)3. Cell transfer experiments provided evidence in favour of a role of the immunizing antigen4,5; however, analysis of memory cells in intact animals, which showed that these cells are mostly resting6 and can persist in the absence of detectable T-cell help7 or follicular dendritic cells8, argued against it. Here we show, by using a genetic switch mediated by Cre recombinase, that memory B cells switching their antibody specificity away from the immunizing antigen are indeed maintained in the animal over long periods of time, similar to cells retaining their original antigen-binding specificity.

Date: 2000
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DOI: 10.1038/35036600

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