期刊名称:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN:0027-8424
电子版ISSN:1091-6490
出版年度:2018
卷号:115
期号:34
页码:8621-8626
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1801196115
语种:English
出版社:The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要:T-follicular helper (TFH) cells are a subset of CD4+ helper T cells that help germinal center (GC) B-cell differentiation and high-affinity antibody production during germinal center reactions. Whether important extracellular molecules control TFH differentiation is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that a secreted protein extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) is critical for TFH differentiation and antibody response. A lack of ECM1 inhibited TFH cell development and impaired GC B-cell reactions and antigen-specific antibody production in an antigen-immunized mouse model. ECM1 was induced by IL-6 and IL-21 in TFH cells, promoting TFH differentiation by down-regulating the level of STAT5 phosphorylation and up-regulating Bcl6 expression. Furthermore, injection of recombinant ECM1 protein into mice infected with PR8 influenza virus promoted protective immune responses effectively, by enhancing TFH differentiation and neutralizing antibody production. Collectively, our data identify ECM1 as a soluble protein to promote TFH cell differentiation and antibody production.
关键词:follicular helper T cells ; antibody responses ; ECM1 ; CD4 T cell differentiation ; IL-2–pSTAT5 signaling