Abstract

SummaryB cell responses are critical for antiviral immunity. However, a comprehensive picture of antigen-specific B cell differentiation, clonal proliferation, and dynamics in different organs after infection is lacking. Here, by combining single-cell RNA and B cell receptor (BCR) sequencing of antigen-specific cells in lymph nodes, spleen, and lungs after influenza infection in mice, we identify several germinal center (GC) B cell subpopulations and organ-specific differences that persist over the course of the response. We discover transcriptional differences between memory cells in lungs and lymphoid organs and organ-restricted clonal expansion. Remarkably, we find significant clonal overlap between GC-derived memory and plasma cells. By combining BCR-mutational analyses with monoclonal antibody (mAb) expression and affinity measurements, we find that memory B cells are highly diverse and can be selected from both low- and high-affinity precursors. By linking antigen recognition with transcriptional programming, clonal proliferation, and differentiation, these finding provide important advances in our understanding of antiviral immunity.

Highlights

  • Viral respiratory infections caused by influenza, orthopneumo, or corona-virus are major concerns worldwide

  • ScRNA-seq of antigen-specific B cells after influenza infection identifies a range of B cell differentiation stages i.n. mouse infection with Influenza A virus (IAV) is a well-established, acute respiratory viral infection model

  • Total B cells (50% of cells based on live B220+ IgD+/À and 50% of cells based on live B220+ IgDÀ) were sorted from spleen and lungs of two mice (Figure S1B)

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Summary

Introduction

Viral respiratory infections caused by influenza-, orthopneumo-, or corona-virus are major concerns worldwide. B-cell-derived antibodies (Abs) are a central feature of adaptive immunity to viruses. Abs can greatly reduce viral pathogenicity in primary infections and can provide complete protection against disease-causing reinfections (Lam and Baumgarth, 2019). Respiratory virus infections can promote circulating blood cells to generate inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissues (iBALTs) in the lung parenchyma (Moyron-Quiroz et al, 2004), resulting in the formation of GC-like structures in mouse lungs by 14 days post infection (dpi) with IAV (Denton et al, 2019; Tan et al, 2019)

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