Observations on memory B-cell development

We dissect in this article the roles of CD40 and its ligand in memory B-cell formation. Our data indicate that CD40 ligation does not directly lead to GC formation but it plays an indirect role related to maturation of helper T cells; signalling is bidirectional, to B cells, via CD40, upregulating cytokine receptor expression and to T cells, via CD40L, causing secretion of cytokines necessary for GC initiation. Later in the GC, CD40 selects mutated B cells for entry into the memory pool. This second T-cell-mediated CD40 ligation has consequences distinct from the first (rescue versus proliferation) that arise from rewiring of CD40 signal transduction pathways.