Premium
The chicken B‐cell receptor complex and its role in avian B‐cell development
Author(s) -
Sayegh Camil E.,
Demaries Sandra L.,
Pike Kelly A.,
Friedman Jennifer E.,
Ratcliffe Michael J. H.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-065x.2000.imr017507.x
Subject(s) - biology , bursa of fabricius , b cell , immunoglobulin class switching , embryo , microbiology and biotechnology , cellular differentiation , antibody , immunoglobulin gene , gene , immunology , genetics , immune system
Summary: The bursa of Fabricius is critical to normal B‐lymphocyte development in birds. During embryonic life, B‐cell precursors migrate to the bursal rudiment and those which have undergone productive V(D)J recombination colonize lymphoid follicles and undergo immunoglobulin V gene diversification by gene conversion. The chicken surface IgM complex appears structurally and functionally equivalent to its mammalian counterpart, with homologs to CD79a and CD79b. Expression of a truncated Ig chain is sufficient to drive the early stages of B‐cell development in the embryo bursa. Bursal cells expressing the truncated receptor complex proliferate in bursal follicles, and those which contain V gene rearrangements undergo V gene diversification by gene conversion. The bursa is a gut‐associated organ and antigen is focused to bursal lymphoid follicles after hatch. While expression of the truncated chain is sufficient to support B‐cell development in the embryo, B cells expressing this receptor are rapidly eliminated after hatch. We suggest the possibility that B‐cell development in the bursa after hatch is driven by encounter with antigen leading to redistribution of B cells within the lymphoid follicle, B‐cell proliferation and V gene repertoire development by gene conversion.