Opposing roles of IgM and IgD in BCR-induced B-cell survival

The B-cell receptor (BCR) transmits a tonic survival signal in the absence of antigen stimulation and an antigen-triggered survival signal. Mature B cells express two types of BCR, IgM and IgD, but it remains unclear how B-cell survival is differentially regulated by these two receptors. We found that, whereas cross-linking IgM on spleen B cells greatly enhanced their survival, cross-linking IgD did not enhance, but rather decreased, their survival. Consistently, cross-linking both IgM and IgD only moderately enhanced B-cell survival, suggesting that IgM and IgD play opposing roles in B-cell survival induced by BCR stimulation. Based on these and additional experimental results, we present a mathematical model integrating IgM- and IgD-mediated survival signals. Our model shows that IgD can transmit a tonic survival signal in the absence of antigen stimulation but cross-linking IgD not only does not generate a survival signal but also disrupts its tonic signal, resulting in inhibition of B-cell survival. These results suggest that IgD attenuates BCR-induced survival in mature B cells, presumably to restrain B-cell response to weak and/or self-antigens and prevent nonspecific B-cell activation and autoimmunity.