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- Title
Identification of Bcl-6-dependent follicular helper NKT cells that provide cognate help for B cell responses.
- Authors
Chang, Pheh-Ping; Barral, Patricia; Fitch, Jessica; Pratama, Alvin; Ma, Cindy S; Kallies, Axel; Hogan, Jennifer J; Cerundolo, Vincenzo; Tangye, Stuart G; Bittman, Robert; Nutt, Stephen L; Brink, Robert; Godfrey, Dale I; Batista, Facundo D; Vinuesa, Carola G
- Abstract
Lipid antigens trigger help from natural killer T cells (NKT cells) for B cells, and direct conjugation of lipid agonists to antigen profoundly augments antibody responses. Here we show that in vivo, NKT cells engaged in stable and prolonged cognate interactions with B cells and induced the formation of early germinal centers. Mouse and human NKT cells formed CXCR5+PD-1hi follicular helper NKT cells (NKTFH cells), and this process required expression of the transcriptional repressor Bcl-6, signaling via the coreceptor CD28 and interaction with B cells. NKTFH cells provided direct cognate help to antigen-specific B cells that was dependent on interleukin 21 (IL-21). Unlike T cell-dependent germinal centers, those driven by NKTFH cells did not generate long-lived plasma cells. Our results demonstrate the existence of a Bcl-6-dependent subset of NKT cells specialized in providing help to B cells.
- Subjects
BCL-6 protein; B cells; KILLER cells; LABORATORY rats; GENETIC transcription; INTERLEUKIN-21; ANTIGENS
- Publication
Nature Immunology, 2012, Vol 13, Issue 1, p35
- ISSN
1529-2908
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/ni.2166