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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Studying Organelle Dynamics in B Cells During Immune Synapse Formation
Published on: June 1, 2019
The role of APRIL and BAFF in lymphocyte activation
1Biochemistry Department, University of Lausanne, Boveresses 155, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland. pascal.schneider@unil.ch
Abstract:
The TNF family ligands BAFF (also called BLyS) and APRIL regulate lymphocyte survival and activation. BAFF binds to three receptors, BAFF-R, TACI and BCMA, whereas APRIL interacts with TACI, BCMA and proteoglycans. The contribution of BAFF and APRIL to B-cell and plasma-cell survival, CD154 (CD40L)-independent antibody isotype switching, germinal center maintenance, T-dependent and T-independent antibody responses, and T cell co-stimulation are relatively well understood. Constitutive BAFF produced by stromal cells determines the size of the peripheral B cell pool, whereas inducible BAFF produced by myeloid and other cells supports local survival of B lymphocytes and can be associated with development of autoimmunity when deregulated.
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