Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• von Bülow, Götz-Ulrich
• van Deursen, Jan M
• Bram, Richard J

Titel

Regulation of the T-Independent Humoral Response by TACI

Ist Teil von

• Immunity (Cambridge, Mass.), 2001-05, Vol.14 (5), p.573-582

Ort / Verlag

United States: Elsevier Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2001

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• TACI is a TNFR homolog expressed by mature B lymphocytes that has been implicated in the positive regulation of B cell growth and antibody production, as well as in the development of autoimmune disease. Its biology is complex due to the existence of two ligands, BLyS and APRIL, and a homologous receptor, BCMA, that similarly binds both ligands. To determine its critical biological role, we generated TACI knockout mice. Surprisingly, these mice demonstrated a 2-fold increase in numbers of circulating and splenic B cells, apparently due to increased proliferation rate. Maturation of B cells and T-dependent antibody production was normal, but responses to T-independent type II antigens were almost completely abolished. It appears that TACI provides an essential costimulatory signal for the T-independent humoral response.