Science. 2006 Nov 17;314(5802):1157-60.
Generation of gut-homing IgA-secreting B cells by intestinal dendritic cells.
Mora JR, Iwata M, Eksteen B, Song SY, Junt T, Senman B, Otipoby KL, Yokota A,
Takeuchi H, Ricciardi-Castagnoli P, Rajewsky K, Adams DH, von Andrian UH.
CBR Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Pathology, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. mora@cbr.med.harvard.edu
Normal intestinal mucosa contains abundant immunoglobulin A (IgA)-secreting
cells, which are generated from B cells in gut-associated lymphoid tissues
(GALT). We show that dendritic cells (DC) from GALT induce T cell-independent
expression of IgA and gut-homing receptors on B cells. GALT-DC-derived retinoic
acid (RA) alone conferred gut tropism but could not promote IgA secretion.
However, RA potently synergized with GALT-DC-derived interleukin-6 (IL-6) or
IL-5 to induce IgA secretion. Consequently, mice deficient in the RA precursor
vitamin A lacked IgA-secreting cells in the small intestine. Thus, GALT-DC shape
mucosal immunity by modulating B cell migration and effector activity through
synergistically acting mediators.
PMID: 17110582 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]