Lasting antibody responses are mediated by a combination of newly formed and established bone marrow plasma cells drawn from clonally distinct precursors

Cellular and chromatin dynamics of antibody-secreting plasma cells

Plasma cells are terminally differentiated B cells responsible for maintaining protective serum antibody titers. Despite their clinical importance, our understanding of the linear genomic features and chromatin structure of plasma cells is incomplete. The plasma cell differentiation program can be triggered by different signals and in multiple, diverse peripheral B cell subsets. This heterogeneity raises questions about the gene regulatory circuits required for plasma cell specification. Recently, new regulators of plasma cell differentiation have been identified and the enhancer landscapes of naïve B cells have been described. Other studies have revealed that the bone marrow niche harbors heterogeneous plasma cell subsets. Still undefined are the minimal requirements to become a plasma cell and what molecular features make peripheral B cell subsets competent to become antibody-secreting plasma cells. New technologies promise to reveal underlying chromatin configurations that promote efficient antibody secretion. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

Cellular Dynamics of Memory B Cell Populations: IgM+ and IgG+ Memory B Cells Persist Indefinitely as Quiescent Cells

Despite their critical role in long-term immunity, the life span of individual memory B cells remains poorly defined. Using a tetracycline-regulated pulse-chase system, we measured population turnover rates and individual t1/2 of pre-established Ag-induced Ig class-switched and IgM-positive memory B cells over 402 d. Our results indicate that, once established, both IgG-positive and less frequent IgM-positive memory populations are exceptionally stable, with little evidence of attrition or cellular turnover. Indeed, the vast majority of cells in both pools exhibited t1/2 that appear to exceed the life span of the mouse, contrasting dramatically with mature naive B cells. These results indicate that recall Ab responses are mediated by stable pools of extremely long-lived cells, and suggest that Ag-experienced B cells employ remarkably efficient survival mechanisms.