Journal Article

Antigen-specific B-cell receptor sensitizes B cells to infection by influenza virus

Barisa, Marta, Guo, Chunguang, Karssemeijer, Roos A., Ashour, Joseph, Ingram, Jessica R., Popp, Maximilian W., Ploegh, Hidde L., Dougan, Stephanie K., Altenburg, Arwen F., Cragnolini, Juan Jose, Avalos, Ana M., Jaenisch, Rudolf, Alt, Frederick W.

2013

Overview

Transnuclear mice are generated from B cells with a receptor specific for the haemagglutinin of influenza A virus; the authors show that influenza virus can infect and deplete haemagglutinin-specific B cells in the lung, which might confer a replicative advantage to the virus and allow it to evade an early neutralizing response. Flu virus negates early host response Using FluBI mice, a transgenic system containing B cells with a cellular receptor specific for the HA antigen of influenza, Hidde Ploegh and colleagues show that influenza virus can infect and deplete HA-specific B cells in the lung. The authors speculate that by targeting and killing influenza-specific B cells, the virus may gain a replicative advantage sufficient for it to evade an early neutralizing response and to become established in the lung. Influenza A virus-specific B lymphocytes and the antibodies they produce protect against infection 1 . However, the outcome of interactions between an influenza haemagglutinin-specific B cell via its receptor (BCR) and virus is unclear. Through somatic cell nuclear transfer we generated mice that harbour B cells with a BCR specific for the haemagglutinin of influenza A/WSN/33 virus (FluBI mice). Their B cells secrete an immunoglobulin gamma 2b that neutralizes infectious virus. Whereas B cells from FluBI and control mice bind equivalent amounts of virus through interaction of haemagglutinin with surface-disposed sialic acids, the A/WSN/33 virus infects only the haemagglutinin-specific B cells. Mere binding of virus is not sufficient for infection of B cells: this requires interactions of the BCR with haemagglutinin, causing both disruption of antibody secretion and FluBI B-cell death within 18 h. In mice infected with A/WSN/33, lung-resident FluBI B cells are infected by the virus, thus delaying the onset of protective antibody release into the lungs, whereas FluBI cells in the draining lymph node are not infected and proliferate. We propose that influenza targets and kills influenza-specific B cells in the lung, thus allowing the virus to gain purchase before the initiation of an effective adaptive response.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 631/250/2499 / Animals / Antibodies - immunology / Antibodies - metabolism / Antibody Specificity - immunology / Antigen-antibody reactions / B cells / B-Lymphocytes - immunology / B-Lymphocytes - pathology / B-Lymphocytes - secretion / B-Lymphocytes - virology / Cell Death / Cell receptors / Development and progression / Female / Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus - immunology / Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus - metabolism / Humanities and Social Sciences / Immune system / Immunoglobulin G - immunology / Immunoglobulin G - metabolism / Immunoglobulins / Immunology / Infections / Influenza / Labeling / letter / Lung - cytology / Lung - immunology / Lung - secretion / Lung - virology / Lymph Nodes - cytology / Lymph Nodes - immunology / Lymphocytes / Male / Mice / Mice, Inbred C57BL / Molecular Sequence Data / multidisciplinary / Neutralization Tests / Nuclear Transfer Techniques / Orthomyxoviridae - pathogenicity / Orthomyxoviridae - physiology / Peptides / Physiological aspects / Properties / Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell - immunology / Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell - metabolism / Science / Virus Replication