Frontiers in Immunology (May 2022)

T Cell Specific BOB.1/OBF.1 Expression Promotes Germinal Center Response and T Helper Cell Differentiation

  • Annika C. Betzler,
  • Jasmin Ezić,
  • Tsima Abou Kors,
  • Thomas K. Hoffmann,
  • Thomas Wirth,
  • Cornelia Brunner

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.889564
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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The transcriptional co-activator BOB.1/OBF.1 is expressed in both B and T cells. The main characteristic of conventional BOB.1/OBF.1 deficient mice is the complete absence of germinal centers (GCs). This defect was mainly attributed to the defective B cell compartment. However, it is unknown whether and how BOB.1/OBF.1 expression in T cells contributes to the GC reaction. To finally clarify this question, we studied the in vivo function of BOB.1/OBF.1 in CD4+ T and follicular T helper (TFH) cell subpopulations by conditional mutagenesis, in the presence of immunocompetent B lymphocytes. BOB.1/OBF.1 deletion in CD4+ T as well as TFH cells resulted in impaired GC formation demonstrating that the impaired GC reaction described for conventional BOB.1/OBF.1-deficient mice cannot exclusively be traced back to the B cell compartment. Furthermore, we show a requirement of BOB.1/OBF.1 for T helper (TH) cell subsets, particularly for TFH cell differentiation.

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