| First Author | Gardell JL | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Eur J Immunol | Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 41-50 |
| PubMed ID | 27753080 | Mgi Jnum | J:249610 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5922357 | Doi | 10.1002/eji.201646504 |
| Citation | Gardell JL, et al. (2017) CD40L is transferred to antigen-presenting B cells during delivery of T-cell help. Eur J Immunol 47(1):41-50 |
| abstractText | The delivery of T-cell help to B cells is antigen-specific, MHC-restricted, and CD40L (CD154) dependent. It has been thought that when a T cell recognizes an antigen-presenting B cell, CD40L expressed on the T-cell surface engages with CD40 on the surface of B cells as long as the cells remain conjugated. By adding fluorescently labeled anti-CD40L antibody during overnight incubation of antigen-presenting B cells with antigen-specific T cells, we discovered that CD40L does not remain on the surface of the T cell, but it is transferred to and endocytosed by B cells receiving T-cell help. In the presence of anti-CD40L antibody, transferred CD40L is nearly absent on bystander B cells that are not presenting antigen, and the bystander cells do not become activated. Because transfer of CD40L to B cells correlates with B-cell activation, we speculate that persistence of helper T-cell-derived CD40L on or in B cells could permit sustained CD40 signaling enabling survival and proliferation of antigen-presenting B cells following brief interactions with helper T cells in vivo in germinal centers. |
