Lack of affinity signature for germinal center cells that have initiated plasma cell differentiation

Henry J. Sutton, Xin Gao, Hannah G. Kelly, Brian J. Parker, Mariah Lofgren, Cherrelle Dacon, Deepyan Chatterjee, Robert A. Seder, Joshua Tan, Azza H. Idris, Teresa Neeman, Ian A. Cockburn*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Long-lived plasma cells (PCs) secrete antibodies that can provide sustained immunity against infection. High-affinity cells are proposed to preferentially select into this compartment, potentiating the immune response. We used single-cell RNA-seq to track the germinal center (GC) development of Ighg2A10 B cells, specific for the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP). Following immunization with Plasmodium sporozoites, we identified 3 populations of cells in the GC light zone (LZ). One LZ population expressed a gene signature associated with the initiation of PC differentiation and readily formed PCs in vitro. The estimated affinity of these pre-PC B cells was indistinguishable from that of LZ cells that remained in the GC. This remained true when high- or low-avidity recombinant PfCSP proteins were used as immunogens. These findings suggest that the initiation of PC development occurs via an affinity-independent process.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)245-255.e5
Number of pages17
JournalImmunity
Volume57
Issue number2
Early online date15 Jan 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Feb 2024

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