Impaired B-1 and B-2 B cell development and atypical splenic B cell structures in IL-7 receptor-deficient mice

✍ Scribed by Lena Erlandsson; Steve Licence; Fabrina Gaspal; Sarah Bell; Peter Lane; Anne E. Corcoran; Inga-Lill Mårtensson

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 375 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-2980
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.200425217

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The cytokine IL‐7 and its receptor are essential for normal B and T lymphopoiesis. We have analyzed the role of this receptor in B cell development throughout ontogeny in IL‐7 receptor α‐deficient mice. We demonstrate that the IL‐7 receptor becomes progressively more important with age. B lymphopoiesis takes place, albeit at reduced levels, in fetal liver and bone marrow of young mice, but is arrested in adults. The outcome is a severe reduction, from an early age, in peripheral B cells including follicular, marginal zone and B‐1 B cells as well as perturbed splenic B cell structures, which are restored after adoptive transfer of normal spleen cells. We conclude that in the absence of the IL‐7 receptor, the residual B lymphopoiesis occurring early in ontogeny must be facilitated by another component, whereas the IL‐7 receptor is the key factor in adults. The impairment of marginal zone and B‐1 B cells in IL‐7 receptor‐ but not IL‐7‐deficient mice suggests non‐redundant functions for the IL‐7 receptor ligands, IL‐7 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin.