Abstract
Tetraspanins are transmembrane proteins that modulate multiple diverse biological processes, including signal transduction, cell–cell communication, immunoregulation, tumorigenesis, cell adhesion, migration, and growth and differentiation. Here, we provide a systematic review of the involvement of tetraspanins and their partners in the regulation and function of B cells, including mechanisms associated with antigen presentation, antibody production, cytokine secretion, co-stimulator expression, and immunosuppression. Finally, we direct our focus to the signaling mechanisms, evolutionary conservation aspects, expression, and potential therapeutic strategies that could be based on tetraspanins and their interacting partners.
Highlights
Specialty section: This article was submitted to B Cell Biology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Immunology
We provide a systematic review of the involvement of tetraspanins and their partners in the regulation and function of B cells, including mechanisms associated with antigen presentation, antibody production, cytokine secretion, co-stimulator expression, and immunosuppression
Conventional B cells—a type of white blood cell—were first defined in 1965 by Cooper [1]. They originate from hematopoietic stem cells in mammalian bone marrow or in the bursa of Fabricius of birds, where they pass through several developmental stages and become IgM+ immature B cells capable of recognizing antigen [1, 2]
Summary
Tetraspanins are transmembrane proteins that modulate multiple diverse biological processes, including signal transduction, cell–cell communication, immunoregulation, tumorigenesis, cell adhesion, migration, and growth and differentiation. Conventional B cells—a type of white blood cell—were first defined in 1965 by Cooper [1] They originate from hematopoietic stem cells in mammalian bone marrow or in the bursa of Fabricius of birds, where they pass through several developmental stages and become IgM+ immature B cells capable of recognizing antigen [1, 2]. Mature naïve B cells are activated, selected, and differentiated into plasmablasts and antibody producing plasma B cells. These are conventional B cells and named as B-2 cells.
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