The role of BAFF for B cell differentiation

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Claudia Berek
• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: from 2009 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 83842111

With the generation of a BAFF conditional mouse, we now have the opportunity to dissect the role of BAFF for the development of the mature network of follicular dendritic cells (FDC) and the generation and selection of high affinity memory B- and plasma cells. For the first time, the impact of BAFF expression can be studied in a normal environment with a fully developed immune system. Cre-induced deletion of the floxed BAFF-gene will allow us to interrupt BAFF expression at different time points during a T cell dependent immune response and to dissect its role at the early and the late stage of germinal centre (GC) development. To address B cell intrinsic functions, BAFF conditional mice will be crossed with CD19-cre mice. The specific deletion of BAFF in B cells, will show the impact of autocrine BAFF expression for the survival of GC B- and plasma cells. In addition, cre-expression dependent on CD21 will delete BAFF in both, B cells and FDC. A comparison with B cell development in normal GC will permit an analysis of the impact of the different BAFF expressing cell types on the process of affinity maturation.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants