Lee Adrian Y S, Reimer Dorothea, Zehrer Annette, Lu Ming, Mielenz Dirk, Körner Heinrich
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
Department of Internal Medicine, Western Hospital, Footscray, VIC, Australia.
Front Immunol. 2017 Dec 21;8:1871. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01871. eCollection 2017.
The CC chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) and its sole chemokine ligand CC chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) display an emerging role in the coordination of humoral immune responses. Recent studies demonstrate a role of this chemokine axis in the migration of B cells to key immunological sites during an immune response, and facilitating the generation of high-quality antibodies. Very little, however, is known about CCL20 and its role in these functions. We undertook a preliminary investigation into the expression and function of CCL20 and demonstrate its well-noted upregulation in the spleen during immunization. Furthermore, we show that most follicular T helper (Tfh) cells can be CCR6 and can produce CCL20. Surprisingly, CCL20 cannot only be found in the cytoplasm but also on the surface of these cells and their precursors. Analysis of T-B-cell conjugates revealed that mature Tfh cells, but not their precursors, are highly enriched in the conjugates. Further functional studies are needed to unravel the precise role of CCL20 in coordinating T and B cell interactions during the humoral immune response.
C-C趋化因子受体6（CCR6）及其唯一的趋化因子配体C-C趋化因子配体20（CCL20）在体液免疫反应的协调中发挥着越来越重要的作用。最近的研究表明，这种趋化因子轴在免疫反应期间B细胞迁移至关键免疫部位以及促进高质量抗体的产生过程中发挥作用。然而，关于CCL20及其在这些功能中的作用却知之甚少。我们对CCL20的表达和功能进行了初步研究，并证明其在免疫期间在脾脏中显著上调。此外，我们发现大多数滤泡辅助性T细胞（Tfh）可表达CCR6并能产生CCL20。令人惊讶的是，CCL20不仅存在于这些细胞及其前体的细胞质中，还存在于其表面。对T-B细胞共轭体的分析显示，成熟的Tfh细胞而非其前体在共轭体中高度富集。需要进一步的功能研究来阐明CCL20在体液免疫反应期间协调T细胞和B细胞相互作用的确切作用。
