CpG DNA redirects class-switching towards "Th1-like" Ig isotype production via TLR9 and MyD88

Ling Lin1, Andrea J Gerth, Stanford L Peng

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine/Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.

Unmethylated CpG-containing DNA plays a critical role in immunity via the augmentation of Th1 but suppression of Th2 T cell responses. We describe here that CpG motifs also redirect isotype production by murine B cells to "Th1-like" Ig isotypes (IgG2a, IgG2b, and IgG3) while suppressing Th2 isotypes (IgG1 and IgE). Using genetically mutant B cells, we find that the IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3 isotypes are transcriptionally regulated via the promotion of class-switching, in a manner critically dependent upon TLR9 and MyD88. Thus, CpG DNA redirects Ig isotype production by regulating the specificity of class-switch recombination.

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