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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
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Isolation and Flow Cytometric Characterization of Murine Small Intestinal Lymphocytes
Published on: May 8, 2016
Influence of gut microbiota on mouse B2 B cell ontogeny and function
Jenny Hansson1, Nabil Bosco, Laurent Favre
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark. jenny.hansson@rdls.nestle.com
Molecular Immunology
|March 4, 2011
Summary
The gut microbiota influences B cell function, particularly in mucosal tissues. Commensal bacteria impact B cell activation pathways, leading to altered immune responses and higher immunoglobulin levels.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in shaping the host immune system.
- The specific impact of microbes on B2 B cells, critical components of adaptive immunity, remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of commensal bacteria on the development and function of B2 B cells.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which microbiota influences B cell physiology in spleen and Peyer's patches.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of germ-free mice with mice exposed to a normal bacterial community from birth.
- Integration of classical immunological assessments with genome-wide expression profiling.
- Analysis of B cell subsets, phenotype, and gene/protein expression.
Main Results:
- Microbiota significantly impacts mucosal B cell physiology and increases serum immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations.
- Preservation of all B cell subsets and overall phenotype was observed.
- Microbial influence involves downregulation of early B cell activation transcription factors and upregulation of genes/proteins in later B cell response stages.
Conclusions:
- The gut microbiota influences the function of mucosal B2 B cells.
- Microbial effects are mediated by mechanisms downstream of B cell activation and proliferation.
- This highlights a significant interaction between gut bacteria and adaptive immune cell function.
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