Abstract
B cells arise in the bone marrow and go on to produce antibodies that protect against microbial infection. Surprisingly, it seems that B-cell development also occurs in the gut, where it is stimulated by resident microbes. See Letter p.112 Primary B-cell development is thought to be restricted to the bone marrow, but here Frederick Alt and colleagues present the surprising finding that it also occurs in the gut, where it is stimulated by the gut microbes. The authors describe a population of early B-lineage cells developing within the intestinal mucosa — specifically in the lamina propria — of postnatal mice. B-cell production peaks at the time of weaning and is increased upon colonization of germ-free mice. The repertoire of these B cells differs from that of cells derived from the bone marrow, and may be shaped by commensal microbes.
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