Skip Navigation


International Immunology Advance Access originally published online on January 12, 2007
International Immunology 2007 19(2):203-215; doi:10.1093/intimm/dxl137
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
19/2/203    most recent
dxl137v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kothlow, S.
Right arrow Articles by Kaspers, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kothlow, S.
Right arrow Articles by Kaspers, B.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?


© The Japanese Society for Immunology. 2007. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Unique and conserved functions of B cell-activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) in the chicken

Sonja Kothlow1, Iris Morgenroth1, Yvonne Graef1, Kirsten Schneider2, Ingrid Riehl1, Peter Staeheli2, Pascal Schneider3 and Bernd Kaspers1

1 Institut für Tierphysiologie, University of Munich, Veterinärstrasse 13, D-80539 Munich, Germany
2 Abteilung Virologie, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
3 Institute of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland

Correspondence to: B. Kaspers; E-mail: Kaspers{at}tiph.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de

The chicken represents the best-characterized animal model for B cell development in the so-called gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and the molecular processes leading to B cell receptor diversification in this species are well investigated. However, the mechanisms regulating B cell development and homeostasis in GALT species are largely unknown. Here we investigate the role played by the avian homologue of B cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF). Flow cytometric analysis showed that the receptor for chicken B cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (chBAFF) is expressed by mature and immature B cells. Unlike murine and human BAFF, chBAFF is primarily produced by B cells both in peripheral lymphoid organs and in the bursa of Fabricius, the chicken's unique primary lymphoid organ. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that chBAFF is required for mature B cell survival. In addition, in vivo neutralization with a decoy receptor led to a reduction of the size and number of B cell follicles in the bursa, demonstrating that, in contrast to humans and mice, in chickens BAFF is also required for the development of immature B cells. Collectively, we show that chBAFF has phylogenetically conserved functions in mature B cell homeostasis but displays unique and thus far unknown properties in the regulation of B cell development in birds.

Keywords: B cells, chicken, comparative immunology/evolution, cytokines

Transmitting editor: M. Reth


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.