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B-cell activation by helper cells is a two-step process

Nature volume 290, pages 60–61 (1981)Cite this article

Abstract

Recent methods tor assaying helper activity and cooperative induction of B cells allow for the specific interactions of large populations of lymphocytes in culture1,2. These assays, which do not select for combining-site specificity of the responding B cells, were used to investigate the precise roles of direct cellular recognition and soluble mediators in the process by which specific T-helper cells stimulate resting B cells into clonal expansion and maturation to immunoglobulin secretion. We report here results demonstrating that helper cells perform two distinct functions in the process of B-cell activation: (1) on direct recognition of antigen (and restricting elements) on B-cell surfaces, helper cells induce, in a short time, target B-cell reactivity to soluble growth factors; (2) on functional recognition of antigen on ‘stimulator’ cells, helper cells also participate in the production of nonspecific growth factors competent to induce proliferation and maturation in those B cells that have been ‘activated’ by direct interaction. Either of these two steps alone is not sufficient to induce proliferation and maturation of resting B lymphocytes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Basel Institute for Immunology, Grenzacherstrasse 487, 4005, Basel, Switzerland

    Carlos Martinez-A

  2. Department of Immunology, Umeå University, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden

    Antonio Coutinho

Authors
  1. Carlos Martinez-A
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  2. Antonio Coutinho
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Martinez-A, C., Coutinho, A. B-cell activation by helper cells is a two-step process. Nature 290, 60–61 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/290060a0

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