| First Author | Lu P | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Science | Volume | 356 |
| Issue | 6339 | PubMed ID | 28408722 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:242908 | Mgi Id | MGI:5907067 |
| Doi | 10.1126/science.aai9264 | Citation | Lu P, et al. (2017) Ephrin B1-mediated repulsion and signaling control germinal center T cell territoriality and function. Science 356(6339) |
| abstractText | Follicular T helper (TFH) cells orchestrate the germinal center (GC) reaction locally. Local mechanisms regulating their dynamics and helper functions are not well defined. Here we found that GC-expressed ephrin B1 (EFNB1) repulsively inhibited T cell to B cell adhesion and GC TFH retention by signaling through TFH-expressed EPHB6 receptor. At the same time, EFNB1 promoted interleukin-21 production from GC TFH cells by signaling predominantly through EPHB4. Consequently, EFNB1-null GCs were associated with defective production of plasma cells despite harboring excessive TFH cells. In a competitive GC reaction, EFNB1-deficient B cells more efficiently interacted with TFH cells and produced more bone-marrow plasma cells, likely as a result of gaining more contact-dependent help. Our results reveal a contact-dependent repulsive guidance system that controls GC TFH dynamics and effector functions locally. |
