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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Evaluation of T Follicular Helper Cells and Germinal Center Response During Influenza A Virus Infection in Mice
Published on: June 27, 2020
Follicular helper T cell differentiation requires continuous antigen presentation that is independent of unique B
Elissa K Deenick1, Anna Chan, Cindy S Ma
1Immunology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, 2010, NSW, Australia. e.deenick@garvan.org.au
Effective humoral immunity depends on the support of B cell responses by T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Although it has been proposed that Tfh cell differentiation requires T-B interactions, the relative contribution of specific populations of Ag-presenting cells remains unknown. We employed three independent strategies that compromised interactions between CD4(+) T cells and activated B cells in vivo. Whereas the expansion of CD4(+) T cells was relatively unaffected, Tfh cell differentiation was completely blocked in all scenarios. Surprisingly, augmenting antigen presentation by non-B cells rescued Tfh cell differentiation, as determined by surface phenotype, gene expression, and germinal center localization. We conclude that although Ag presentation by responding B cells is typically required for the generation of Tfh cells, this does not result from the provision of a unique B cell-derived signal, but rather because responding B cells rapidly become the primary source of antigen.
Effective humoral immunity depends on the support of B cell responses by T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Although it has been proposed that Tfh cell differentiation requires T-B interactions, the relative contribution of specific populations of Ag-presenting cells remains unknown. We employed three independent strategies that compromised interactions between CD4(+) T cells and activated B cells in vivo. Whereas the expansion of CD4(+) T cells was relatively unaffected, Tfh cell differentiation was completely blocked in all scenarios. Surprisingly, augmenting antigen presentation by non-B cells rescued Tfh cell differentiation, as determined by surface phenotype, gene expression, and germinal center localization. We conclude that although Ag presentation by responding B cells is typically required for the generation of Tfh cells, this does not result from the provision of a unique B cell-derived signal, but rather because responding B cells rapidly become the primary source of antigen.
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