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Published on: March 17, 2014
Appearance and phenotype of murine follicular dendritic cells expressing VCAM-1
Péter Balogh1, Yüksel Aydar, John G Tew
1Immunology Group, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical College of Virginia/VCU, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
Insights
Follicular dendritic cell (FDC) expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) indicates immune activation in lymphoid tissues. VCAM-1 appears on a subset of FDCs following antigenic stimulus, coinciding with germinal center formation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Histology
Background:
- Lymphoid follicle architecture relies on cell interactions, with follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) crucial for B cell communication.
- FDCs engage in adhesive interactions with B cells, and their phenotype can include vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution and appearance of VCAM-1 on FDCs in murine lymphoid tissues.
- To compare VCAM-1 expression with other FDC markers and assess its correlation with immune responses.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was used to examine VCAM-1, CR1.2 (complement receptor 1.2), and FDC-M1 expression in murine spleen and lymph nodes.
- VCAM-1 expression was correlated with the presence of other FDC markers and germinal center formation.
Main Results:
- VCAM-1 expression on FDCs was restricted to a subset of CR1.2-positive FDCs.
- VCAM-1 expression on FDCs required antigenic stimulus and coincided with germinal center formation.
- VCAM-1 expression was associated with mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) on FDCs.
Conclusions:
- VCAM-1 expression on FDCs is a marker of activation, appearing after antigenic stimulation.
- The co-expression of VCAM-1 and MAdCAM-1 on FDCs may serve as indicators of FDC activation within lymphoid follicles.
Abstract:
The architecture of lymphoid follicles is determined by a series of interactions between lymphoid and follicular stromal cells. A cardinal population in the non-lymphoid compartment is the follicular dendritic cell (FDC), whose communication with resting and activated B cells involves various adhesive interactions. The FDC phenotype variably includes the display of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1). In this report we investigated the appearance and follicular tissue distribution of VCAM-1 in murine peripheral lymphoid tissues, and compared VCAM-1 with other FDC markers using immunohistochemistry. Correlating the appearance of VCAM-1 with other murine FDC-associated markers (CR1.2 [complement receptor 1.2 or CD35/21] and FDC-M1) revealed that the display of VCAM-1 is restricted to a subset of CR1.2-positive FDCs. We found that the expression of VCAM-1 antigen in the spleen or peripheral lymph nodes on FDCs requires antigenic stimulus, and that it coincides with germinal center formation. The VCAM-1 expression is associated with the appearance of mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule (MAdCAM-1), with some slight differences in occurrence. The appearance of VCAM-1 and MAdCAM-1 antigens on FDCs may serve as indicators of FDC activation.
