Marginal zone B cells emerge as a critical component of pregnancy well-being

Marginal Zone B-Cells, a Gatekeeper of Innate Immunity

To maintain the integrity of an organism constantly challenged by pathogens, the immune system is endowed with a variety of cell types. B lymphocytes were initially thought to only play a role in the adaptive branch of immunity. However, a number of converging observations revealed that two B-cell subsets, marginal zone (MZ) and B1 cells, exhibit unique developmental and functional characterist...

Human tonsil intraepithelial B cells: a marginal zone-related subpopulation.

AIMS To determine if intraepithelial B cells in reactive human palatine tonsils were similar to the marginal zone cells of the spleen and Peyer's patches. METHODS Reactive human palatine tonsils were studied using conventional methods of light microscopy, electron microscopy, and a panel of monoclonal antibodies for leucocyte common antigens. RESULTS Clinically important numbers of marginal...

Capture by Marginal Zone Macrophages Marginal Zone B Cells Regulate Antigen

Cannabinoid receptor 2 positions and retains marginal zone B cells within the splenic marginal zone

Specialized B cells residing in the splenic marginal zone (MZ) continuously survey the blood for antigens and are important for immunity to systemic infections. However, the cues that uniquely attract cells to the MZ have not been defined. Previous work demonstrated that mice deficient in cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) have decreased numbers of MZ B cells but it has been unclear whether CB2 regul...

A critical role of Rap1b in B-cell trafficking and marginal zone B-cell development.

B-cell development is orchestrated by complex signaling networks. Rap1 is a member of the Ras superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins and has 2 isoforms, Rap1a and Rap1b. Although Rap1 has been suggested to have an important role in a variety of cellular processes, no direct evidence demonstrates a role for Rap1 in B-cell biology. In this study, we found that Rap1b was the dominant isoform of...