Cytokine-secreting follicular T cells shape the antibody repertoire.
High-affinity antibodies are critical for host protection and underlie successful vaccines. The generation of such antibodies requires T cell-dependent help, which mediates germinal center reactions in which mutation and selection of B cells occurs. Using an interleukin 4-reporter system, we show here that CD4(+) follicular helper T cells constituted essentially all of the cytokine-secreting T cells in lymph nodes and were functionally distinct from T cells secreting the same cytokine in peripheral tissues. Follicular helper T cells with different cytokine profiles could be isolated as conjugates with B cells undergoing cytokine-specific immunoglobulin class switching with evidence of somatic hypermutation. Our findings support a model in which B cells compete for cytokines produced by follicular helper T cells that shape the affinity and isotype of the antibody response.
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- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer
- T-Lymphocytes
- Somatic Hypermutation, Immunoglobulin
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Lymph Nodes
- Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous
- Leishmania major
- Interleukin-4
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer
- T-Lymphocytes
- Somatic Hypermutation, Immunoglobulin
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Lymph Nodes
- Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous
- Leishmania major
- Interleukin-4