Abstract
B and T lymphocytes develop normally in mice lacking the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Vav-2. However, the immune responses to type II thymus-independent antigen as well as the primary response to thymus-dependent (TD) antigen are defective. Vav-2–deficient mice are also defective in their ability to switch immunoglobulin class, form germinal centers and generate secondary immune responses to TD antigens. Mice lacking both Vav-1 and Vav-2 contain reduced numbers of B lymphocytes and display a maturational block in the development of mature B cells. B cells from Vav-1−/−Vav-2−/− mice respond poorly to antigen receptor triggering, both in terms of proliferation and calcium release. These studies show the importance of Vav-2 in humoral immune responses and B cell maturation.
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Acknowledgements
We thank F. Flack, M. George and animal facility staff for technical assistance, G. Morgan for help with flow cytometry and D. Alexander, G. Butcher and L. Webb for a critical reading of the manuscript. Supported by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Competitive Strategic Grant and the Leukaemia Research Fund and Cancer Research Campaign (to M. T.).
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Doody, G., Bell, S., Vigorito, E. et al. Signal transduction through Vav-2 participates in humoral immune responses and B cell maturation. Nat Immunol 2, 542–547 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/88748
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/88748
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