CD22 and its regulation of BCR signaling strength in germinal center B cell fate and metabolism

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lars Nitschke
• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 505372148

Humoral immune responses are performed by antibodies, which mature in so-called germinal centres, which are specialised structures in spleen and lymph nodes. For this process the signalling response by the B cell receptor (BCR) in germinal center B cells plays an important role. This signalling response is regulated by inhibitory receptors like CD22. In preliminary work we demonstrated that CD22 deficiency causes an enhanced Ca2+ signalling in germinal center B cells. This triggered enhanced apoptosis and a lower number of germinal center B cells, when compared to control animals. In this application it will be studied how enhanced or lower BCR signalling affects B cell fate and metabolism in the germinal center. We will also apply an intravital imaging system in order to be able to follow Ca2+ signalling and metabolism of germinal center B cells in vivo.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 5560: Crosstalk between B cell metabolism and signaling