Decoding plasma cell maturation dynamics with BCMA

Schulz S, Menzel S, Wittner J, Ulbricht C, Grofe AT, Roth E, Mann-Nüttel R, Scheu S, Kueh AJ, Jäck A, Herold MJ, Hauser AE, Pracht K, Schuh W, Jäck HM (2025)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Frontiers in Immunology Frontiers Research Foundation / Frontiers Media

Book Volume: 16

Article Number: 1539773

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1539773

Abstract

Plasma cells provide protective antibodies following an infection or vaccination. A network of intrinsic and extrinsic factors fine-tunes the generation of a heterogenous plasma cell pool with varying metabolic requirements, transcriptional profiles and lifespans. Among these, the B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) has been implicated in the APRIL-mediated survival of long-lived plasma cells. To characterize the terminal maturation of plasma cells, we constructed a BCMA reporter mouse (BCMA:Tom) that exclusively labeled antibody-secreting cells and revealed that BCMA:Tom expression varied by IgH isotype and increased with plasma cell maturity. The BCMA reporter, used alongside the Blimp1-GFP reporter, also allowed detailed tracking of plasma cell development and highlighted the importance of the in vivo microenvironment to complete plasma cell maturation. Therefore, the BCMA:Tom reporter mouse provides a valuable tool for tracking plasma cell development and maturation with flow cytometry or advanced imaging techniques, enabling a deeper understanding of the mechanisms regulating plasma cell heterogeneity and longevity.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sebastian Schulz Department of Molecular Immunology Shannon Menzel Department of Molecular Immunology Jens Wittner Department of Molecular Immunology Katharina Pracht Department of Molecular Immunology Wolfgang Schuh Department of Molecular Immunology Hans-Martin Jäck Department of Molecular Immunology

Involved external institutions

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf DE Germany (DE) Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute AU Australia (AU) Klinikum der Universität München DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Schulz, S., Menzel, S., Wittner, J., Ulbricht, C., Grofe, A.T., Roth, E.,... Jäck, H.-M. (2025). Decoding plasma cell maturation dynamics with BCMA. Frontiers in Immunology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1539773

MLA:

Schulz, Sebastian, et al. "Decoding plasma cell maturation dynamics with BCMA." Frontiers in Immunology 16 (2025).

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