Human anti-smallpox long-lived memory B cells are defined by dynamic interactions in the splenic niche and long-lasting germinal center imprinting

Pascal Chappert*, François Huetz, Marie Alix Espinasse, Fabrice Chatonnet, Louise Pannetier, Lucie Da Silva, Clara Goetz, Jérome Mégret, Aurélien Sokal, Etienne Crickx, Ivan Nemazanyy, Vincent Jung, Chiara Guerrera, Sébastien Storck, Matthieu Mahévas, Antonio Cosma, Patrick Revy, Thierry Fest, Claude Agnès Reynaud, Jean Claude Weill

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Memory B cells (MBCs) can persist for a lifetime, but the mechanisms that allow their long-term survival remain poorly understood. Here, we isolated and analyzed human splenic smallpox/vaccinia protein B5-specific MBCs in individuals who were vaccinated more than 40 years ago. Only a handful of clones persisted over such an extended period, and they displayed limited intra-clonal diversity with signs of extensive affinity-based selection. These long-lived MBCs appeared enriched in a CD21hiCD20hi IgG+ splenic B cell subset displaying a marginal-zone-like NOTCH/MYC-driven signature, but they did not harbor a unique longevity-associated transcriptional or metabolic profile. Finally, the telomeres of B5-specific, long-lived MBCs were longer than those in patient-paired naive B cells in all the samples analyzed. Overall, these results imply that separate mechanisms such as early telomere elongation, affinity selection during the contraction phase, and access to a specific niche contribute to ensuring the functional longevity of MBCs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1872-1890.e9
JournalImmunity
Volume55
Issue number10
Early online date20 Sept 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Oct 2022

Keywords

  • affinity selection
  • long-lasting immune memory
  • memory B cells
  • smallpox
  • splenic microenvironment
  • telomeres
  • vaccinia

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