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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Mouse Naïve CD4+ T Cell Isolation and In vitro Differentiation into T Cell Subsets
Published on: April 16, 2015
TLR agonists selectively promote terminal plasma cell differentiation of B cell subsets specialized in
Laurent Genestier1, Morgan Taillardet, Paul Mondiere
1Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 851, IFR128 Biosciences Lyon-Gerland, 21 Avenue Tony Garnier, Lyon, France.
Naive murine B cells are known to proliferate and differentiate in response to LPS or CpG, which bind to TLR4 and TLR9, respectively. However, the naive murine B cell compartment is heterogeneous and comprises four different B cell subsets: B-1a, B-1b, marginal zone (MZ), and follicular (FO) B cells. B-1a, B-1b, and MZ B cells are specialized in the response to thymus-independent Ag, and FO B cells are involved in the response to thymus-dependent Ag. This study was undertaken to compare those four naive B cell subsets for their responses to TLR agonists. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that expression of TLR transcripts differs quantitatively but not qualitatively from one subset to the other. All TLR agonists, with the exception of flagellin and poly(I:C), stimulate B cell proliferation whatever the subset considered. However, TLR ligation leads to massive differentiation of B-1 and MZ B cells into mature plasma cells (PC) but only marginally promotes PC differentiation of FO B cells. Moreover, TLR stimulation strongly up-regulates expression of Blimp-1 and XBP-1(S), two transcription factors known to be instrumental in PC differentiation, in B-1 and MZ B cells but not in FO B cells. Altogether, our findings suggest that B-1 and MZ B cells are poised to PC differentiation in response to the microbial environment and that TLR agonists can be instrumental in stimulating Ab-mediated innate immune protection during microbial infections.
Naive murine B cells are known to proliferate and differentiate in response to LPS or CpG, which bind to TLR4 and TLR9, respectively. However, the naive murine B cell compartment is heterogeneous and comprises four different B cell subsets: B-1a, B-1b, marginal zone (MZ), and follicular (FO) B cells. B-1a, B-1b, and MZ B cells are specialized in the response to thymus-independent Ag, and FO B cells are involved in the response to thymus-dependent Ag. This study was undertaken to compare those four naive B cell subsets for their responses to TLR agonists. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that expression of TLR transcripts differs quantitatively but not qualitatively from one subset to the other. All TLR agonists, with the exception of flagellin and poly(I:C), stimulate B cell proliferation whatever the subset considered. However, TLR ligation leads to massive differentiation of B-1 and MZ B cells into mature plasma cells (PC) but only marginally promotes PC differentiation of FO B cells. Moreover, TLR stimulation strongly up-regulates expression of Blimp-1 and XBP-1(S), two transcription factors known to be instrumental in PC differentiation, in B-1 and MZ B cells but not in FO B cells. Altogether, our findings suggest that B-1 and MZ B cells are poised to PC differentiation in response to the microbial environment and that TLR agonists can be instrumental in stimulating Ab-mediated innate immune protection during microbial infections.
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