Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Antigen uptake and accumulation in antigen-specific B cells.

A Lanzavecchia1

  • 1Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland.

Immunological Reviews
|October 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

B cells act like vacuum cleaners, accumulating antigens via their surface immunoglobulin (SIg). This efficient antigen uptake and processing by B cells is crucial for effective T-cell activation.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Human monoclonal IgG selection of Plasmodium falciparum for the expression of placental malaria-specific variant surface antigens.

Parasite immunology·2009
Same author

Distinct expression pattern of IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha in juvenile idiopathic arthritis synovial tissue.

Rheumatology (Oxford, England)·2006
Same author

Cytokine-driven proliferation and differentiation of human naïve, central memory and effector memory CD4+ T cells.

Pathologie-biologie·2003
Same author

Cytokine-driven proliferation and differentiation of human naive, central memory, and effector memory CD4(+) T cells.

The Journal of experimental medicine·2001
Same author

BDCA-2, a novel plasmacytoid dendritic cell-specific type II C-type lectin, mediates antigen capture and is a potent inhibitor of interferon alpha/beta induction.

The Journal of experimental medicine·2001
Same author

Specialization and complementarity in microbial molecule recognition by human myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells.

European journal of immunology·2001

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • B cells function as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) essential for T cell activation.
  • The precise mechanisms of antigen uptake and presentation by B cells are not fully elucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate factors governing antigen uptake by B cells.
  • To understand how B cells efficiently present antigens to T cells.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed antigen-specific B-cell clones as APCs.
  • Studied antigen presentation capacity under varied conditions.
  • Investigated antigen binding to surface immunoglobulin (SIg) using blocking antibodies.

Main Results:

  • B cells accumulate antigens that bind to their SIg over time, acting as "vacuum cleaners."
  • Antigen internalization via SIg occurs at a rate 5-10 times higher than loss, with a half-life of approximately 1 day for processed antigen.
  • T cells showed significantly higher activation when stimulated by antigens presented via SIg compared to other B-cell surface antigens.

Conclusions:

  • Surface immunoglobulin (SIg) plays a critical role in efficient antigen internalization and processing by B cells.
  • B cells' capacity to accumulate antigen via SIg contributes to their effectiveness as APCs.
  • This mechanism highlights the specialized function of B cells in initiating adaptive immune responses.

Related Experiment Videos