Intrinsic B cell TLR-BCR linked coengagement induces class-switched, hypermutated, neutralizing antibody responses in absence of T cells

Maturation of antibody responses entails somatic hypermutation (SHM), class-switch DNA recombination (CSR), plasma cell differentiation, and generation of memory B cells, and it is thought to require T cell help. We showed that B cell Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-B cell receptor (BCR) (receptor for antigen) coengagement by 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl acetyl (NP)-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Escherichia coli lipid A polysaccharide O-antigen) or TLR5-BCR coengagement by Salmonella flagellin induces mature antibody responses to NP and flagellin in Tcr beta-/-Tcr6-/- and NSG/B mice. TLR-BCR coengagement required linkage of TLR and BCR ligands, linked coengagement. This induced B cell CSR/SHM, germinal center-like differentiation, clonal expansion, intraconal diversification, plasma cell differentiation, and an anamnestic antibody response. In Tcr beta-/-Tcr6-/- mice, linked coengagement of TLR4-BCR by LPS or TLR5-BCR by flagellin induced protective antibodies against E. coli or Salmonella Typhi-murium. Our findings unveiled a critical role of B cell TLRs in inducing neutralizing antibody responses, includ-ing those to microbial pathogens, without T cell help.

Automated summary

Maturation of antibody responses involves B cell Toll-like receptor (TLR) coengagement with B cell receptor (BCR), leading to various processes including somatic hypermutation (SHM), class-switch DNA recombination (CSR), plasma cell differentiation, and memory B cell generation. TLR-BCR coengagement requires linkage of TLR and BCR ligands, and it can induce mature antibody responses and protective antibodies against microbial pathogens, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhi-murium, without T cell help.