Antibodies Encoded by FCRL4-Bearing Memory B Cells Preferentially Recognize Commensal Microbial Antigens [CLINICAL AND HUMAN IMMUNOLOGY]

FCRL4, a low-affinity IgA Ab receptor with strong immunoregulatory potential, is an identifying feature of a tissue-based population of memory B cells (Bmem). We used two independent approaches to perform a comparative analysis of the Ag receptor repertoires of FCRL4⁺ and FCRL4^– Bmem in human tonsils. We determined that FCRL4⁺ Bmem displayed lower levels of somatic mutations in their Ag receptors compared with FCRL4^– Bmem but had similar frequencies of variable gene family usage. Importantly, Abs with reactivity to commensal microbiota were enriched in FCRL4⁺ cells, a phenotype not due to polyreactive binding characteristics. Our study links expression of the immunoregulatory FCRL4 molecule with increased recognition of commensal microbial Ags.

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