Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Murine Model of CD40-activation of B cells
Published on: March 5, 2010
Self-reactive B lymphocytes overexpressing Bcl-xL escape negative selection and are tolerized by clonal anergy and
W Fang1, B C Weintraub, B Dunlap
1Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Self-reactive B cells Tg for both a bcl-xL death inhibitory gene and an Ig receptor recognizing hen egg lysozyme (HEL-Ig) efficiently escaped developmental arrest and deletion in mice expressing membrane-bound self-antigen (mHEL). In response to the same antigen, Tg HEL-Ig B cells not expressing bcl-xL were deleted, while cells expressing bcl-2 were arrested at the immature B stage. Bcl-xL Tg B cells escaping negative selection were anergic in both in vitro and in vivo assays and showed some evidence for receptor editing. These studies suggest that Bcl-x may have a distinct role in controlling survival at the immature stage of B cell development and demonstrate that tolerance is preserved when self-reactive B cells escape central deletion.
Self-reactive B cells Tg for both a bcl-xL death inhibitory gene and an Ig receptor recognizing hen egg lysozyme (HEL-Ig) efficiently escaped developmental arrest and deletion in mice expressing membrane-bound self-antigen (mHEL). In response to the same antigen, Tg HEL-Ig B cells not expressing bcl-xL were deleted, while cells expressing bcl-2 were arrested at the immature B stage. Bcl-xL Tg B cells escaping negative selection were anergic in both in vitro and in vivo assays and showed some evidence for receptor editing. These studies suggest that Bcl-x may have a distinct role in controlling survival at the immature stage of B cell development and demonstrate that tolerance is preserved when self-reactive B cells escape central deletion.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Special Features of Adaptive Immunity
The primary cell types involved in adaptive immunity are T cells and B cells. Each type has a unique role in defending the body against pathogens. T cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. They identify and eliminate infected cells directly,...
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
Diversity of Antigen Receptors
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
B Cell Activation and Differentiation
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...

