Identification of germinal center-specific lipid species

Abstract

Abstract Germinal centers (GCs) are microanatomic structures that B cells proliferate, are selected for affinity maturation, undergo antibody (Ab) class-switch recombination and differentiate into Ab-secreting plasma cells and memory B cells. Nutrient availability, metabolic reprogramming process, and spatial localizations of biomolecules can impact on GC response and quality of humoral immune response. By using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS), we identified that the ether lipid species are preferentially enriched in germinal centers, and the perturbation of ether lipid synthesis attenuatedGC response and antigen-specific Ab production. These results suggest that molecular programing of GC lymphocytes is tied to increased ether lipid synthesis and that these species are functionally important in humoral immunity.