New perspectives in B-1 B cell development and function

Encarnacion Montecino-Rodriguez1, Kenneth Dorshkind

  • 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

Trends in Immunology
|July 25, 2006
PubMed

In contrast to the predominant population of B-2 B cells produced in the bone marrow, B-1 B cells are a minor population of B lymphocytes that are found in multiple tissues, including the pleural and peritoneal cavities in mice. Although the role of B-1 B cells as effectors of innate-like immunity is widely accepted, their developmental origin has been controversial. This review highlights recent experimental data from murine studies supporting the hypothesis that B-1 B cells belong to a developmental lineage distinct from B-2 B cells, and draws attention to recent studies that have defined new roles for the B-1a and B-1b B-cell subsets in the response to bacteria and self-antigens.

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