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B cells producing high-affinity antibodies are destined to differentiate into memory B cells and plasma cells, but the mechanisms leading to those differentiation pathways are mostly unknown. Here we report that the transcription factor IRF4 is required for the generation of plasma cells. Transgenic mice with conditional deletion of Irf4 in germinal center B cells lacked post-germinal center plasma cells and were unable to differentiate memory B cells into plasma cells. Plasma cell differentiation required IRF4 as well as the transcriptional repressor Blimp-1, which both acted 'upstream' of the transcription factor XBP-1. In addition, IRF4-deficient B cells had impaired expression of activation-induced deaminase and lacked class-switch recombination, suggesting an independent function for IRF4 in this process. These results identify IRF4 as a crucial transcriptional 'switch' in the generation of functionally competent plasma cells.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ni1357 | DOI Listing |
Front Immunol
September 2025
Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
NSG-SGM3 humanized mouse models are well-suited for studying human immune physiology but are technically challenging and expensive. We previously characterized a simplified NSG-SGM3 mouse, engrafted with human donor CD34 hematopoietic stem cells without receiving prior bone marrow ablation or human secondary lymphoid tissue implantation, that still retains human mast cell- and basophil-dependent passive anaphylaxis responses. Its capacities for human antibody production and human B cell maturation, however, remain unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRSC Chem Biol
September 2025
Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet 17165 Solna Sweden
Labeling the plasma membrane for advanced imaging remains a significant challenge. For time-lapse live cell imaging, probe internalization and photobleaching are major limitations affecting most membrane-specific dyes. In fixed or permeabilized cells, many membrane probes either lose signal after fixation or fail to remain localized to the plasma membrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlood Cell Ther
August 2025
Department of Clinical Hematology and Medical Oncology, Postgraduate Institute Of Medical Education And Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
Background: Bone marrow (BM) Measurable Residual Disease (MRD) assessments underestimate disease burden in multiple myeloma, as focal lesions can exist outside the marrow. Functional imaging, like positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), offers valuable insights into residual disease beyond the marrow. Combining marrow flow cytometry (FCM) with PET-CT for a composite MRD (cMRD) assessment before and after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is expected to provide prognostic information, particularly in settings where patients receive extended duration of anti-myeloma therapy prior to ASCT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransl Anim Sci
August 2025
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
During disease, there may be increased local demands for zinc (Zn) and vitamin A to support pathogen response. This study evaluates the effects of intranasal Zn and vitamin A treatments on steers experimentally infected with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogens, bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and , hypothesizing that steers treated with Zn and vitamin A (VA) will have improved recovery to BRD challenge. Forty-eight Angus crossbred steers (333 ± 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Pharmacol
August 2025
General Surgery Department Three, Gansu Province Central Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Fast and early detection of low-dose chemical toxicity is a critical unmet need in toxicology and human health, as conventional 2D culture models often fail to capture subtle cellular responses induced by sub-toxic exposures. Here, we present a bioengineered three-dimensional (3D) electrospun nanofibrous scaffold composed of polycaprolactone that enhances chromatin accessibility and primes fibroblasts for improved sensitivity to low-dose chemical stimuli in a short period. The scaffold mimics the extracellular matrix, providing topographical cues that reduce cytoskeletal tension and promote nuclear deformation, thereby increasing chromatin openness.
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