Functional Memory B Cells and Long-Lived Plasma Cells Are Generated after a Single Plasmodium chabaudi Infection in Mice

PLoS Pathogens

Joshua Coulcher¹  Emma Tamsin Cadman¹  Eunice Nduati¹  Douglas William MacDonald¹  Francis Maina Ndungu¹  Dorothy Ng¹  Jean Langhorne¹  Elisabeth Couper² 

[1] Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom;KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya

关键词: Spleen;    Parasitic diseases;    Bone marrow;    Memory B cells;    Malaria;    Parasitemia;    Chloroquine;    T cells;   

DOI  :  10.1371/journal.ppat.1000690

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Public Library of Science

【 摘 要 】

Antibodies have long been shown to play a critical role in naturally acquired immunity to malaria, but it has been suggested that Plasmodium-specific antibodies in humans may not be long lived. The cellular mechanisms underlying B cell and antibody responses are difficult to study in human infections; therefore, we have investigated the kinetics, duration and characteristics of the Plasmodium-specific memory B cell response in an infection of P. chabaudi in mice. Memory B cells and plasma cells specific for the C-terminal region of Merozoite Surface Protein 1 were detectable for more than eight months following primary infection. Furthermore, a classical memory response comprised predominantly of the T-cell dependent isotypes IgG2c, IgG2b and IgG1 was elicited upon rechallenge with the homologous parasite, confirming the generation of functional memory B cells. Using cyclophosphamide treatment to discriminate between long-lived and short-lived plasma cells, we demonstrated long-lived cells secreting Plasmodium-specific IgG in both bone marrow and in spleens of infected mice. The presence of these long-lived cells was independent of the presence of chronic infection, as removal of parasites with anti-malarial drugs had no impact on their numbers. Thus, in this model of malaria, both functional Plasmodium-specific memory B cells and long-lived plasma cells can be generated, suggesting that defects in generating these cell populations may not be the reason for generating short-lived antibody responses.

【 授权许可】

CC BY