Title |
Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Is Critical for the Homing and Retention of Marginal Zone B Lineage Cells and for Efficient T-Independent Immune Responses
|
---|---|
Published in |
The Journal of Immunology, December 2011
|
DOI | 10.4049/jimmunol.1102195 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Sreemanti Basu, Avijit Ray, Bonnie N. Dittel |
Abstract |
The endocannabinoid system has emerged as an important regulator of immune responses, with the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) and its principle ligand 2-archidonoylglycerol playing a major role. How CB2 regulates B cell functions is not clear, even though they express the highest levels of CB2 among immune cell subsets. In this study, we show that CB2-deficient mice have a significant reduction in the absolute number of marginal zone (MZ) B cells and their immediate precursor, transitional-2 MZ precursor. The loss of MZ lineage cells in CB2(-/-) mice was shown to be B cell intrinsic using bone marrow chimeras and was not due to a developmental or functional defect as determined by B cell phenotype, proliferation, and Ig production. Furthermore, CB2(-/-) B cells were similar to wild type in their apoptosis, cell turnover, and BCR and Notch-2 signaling. We then demonstrated that CB2(-/-) MZ lineage B cells were less efficient at homing to the MZ and that their subsequent retention was also regulated by CB2. CB2(-/-) mice immunized with T-independent Ags produced significantly less Ag-specific IgM. This study demonstrates that CB2 positively regulates T-independent immune responses by controlling the localization and positioning of MZ lineage cells to the MZ. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Hungary | 1 | 1% |
Germany | 1 | 1% |
Netherlands | 1 | 1% |
Canada | 1 | 1% |
United States | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 94 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 18 | 18% |
Student > Bachelor | 17 | 17% |
Researcher | 14 | 14% |
Student > Master | 12 | 12% |
Student > Postgraduate | 6 | 6% |
Other | 12 | 12% |
Unknown | 20 | 20% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 28 | 28% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 10 | 10% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 9 | 9% |
Neuroscience | 7 | 7% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 7 | 7% |
Other | 13 | 13% |
Unknown | 25 | 25% |