Broadly neutralizing antibodies are crucial for the control of many life-threatening viral infections like HIV, influenza, or hepatitis. Their induction is a prime goal in vaccine research. Using ...computer simulations, we identify strategies to promote the generation of broadly neutralizing antibodies in natural germinal center (GC) reactions. The simulations predict a feedback loop based on antibodies and memory B cells from previous GC reactions that promotes GCs to focus on new epitopes. Memory-derived or injected antibodies specific for immunodominant epitopes control epitope availability, suppress the participation of memory B cells in the GC reaction, and allow for the evolution of other B cells to affinity mature for hidden or rare epitopes. This defines a natural selection mechanism for GC B cells to concentrate on new epitopes rather than refine affinity to already-covered epitopes. This principle can be used for the design and testing of future therapies and vaccination protocols.
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•Injected or pre-exisiting antibodies mask immunodominant epitopes in germinal centers•Epitope masking can shift the focus of germinal centers to less-accessible epitopes•Memory B cells are less competitive in germinal centers with masked epitopes•Memory-derived antibodies promote natural affinity maturation to other epitopes
Antibodies specific for low-accessible pathogen epitopes are crucial for the control of life-threatening infections. Meyer-Hermann shows with computer simulations that memory-derived antibodies mask immunodominant epitopes, suppress participation of memory B cells in germinal centers, and promote affinity maturation to less-accessible epitopes. Vaccination with antibodies can induce the same effect.
The selection of B cells (BCs) in germinal centers (GCs) is pivotal to the generation of high-affinity antibodies and memory BCs, but it lacks global understanding. Based on the idea of a single ...Tfh-cell signal that controls BC selection and division, experiments appear contradictory. Here, we use the current knowledge on the molecular pathways of GC BCs to develop a theory of GC BC selection and division based on the dynamics of molecular factors. This theory explains the seemingly contradictory experiments by the separation of signals for BC fate decision from signals controlling the number of BC divisions. Three model variants are proposed and experiments are predicted that allow one to distinguish those. Understanding information processing in molecular BC states is critical for targeted immune interventions, and the proposed theory implies that selection and division can be controlled independently in GC reactions.
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•Germinal center B cells use different signals for selection and division•mTOR, FoxO1, and c-Myc dynamics in B cells can explain conflicting experiments•Model variants show different light zone passage times for high- and low-affinity B cells•Clonal diversity may distinguish different model variants
Germinal centers are sites in lymphoid tissue, in which high-affinity B cells are selected in an evolutionary process to better fight infections and generate immune memory. Meyer-Hermann provides evidence that the selection and division of B cells is controlled by two different rather than a single molecular signal.
Foxp3+ Treg cells, which are crucial for maintenance of self‐tolerance, mainly develop within the thymus, where they arise from CD25+Foxp3– or CD25–Foxp3+ Treg cell precursors. Although it is known ...that infections can cause transient thymic involution, the impact of infection‐induced thymus atrophy on thymic Treg (tTreg) cell development is unknown. Here, we infected mice with influenza A virus (IAV) and studied thymocyte population dynamics post infection. IAV infection caused a massive, but transient thymic involution, dominated by a loss of CD4+CD8+ double‐positive (DP) thymocytes, which was accompanied by a significant increase in the frequency of CD25+Foxp3+ tTreg cells. Differential apoptosis susceptibility could be experimentally excluded as a reason for the relative tTreg cell increase, and mathematical modeling suggested that enhanced tTreg cell generation cannot explain the increased frequency of tTreg cells. Yet, an increased death of DP thymocytes and augmented exit of single‐positive (SP) thymocytes was suggested to be causative. Interestingly, IAV‐induced thymus atrophy resulted in a significantly reduced T‐cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity of newly produced tTreg cells. Taken together, IAV‐induced thymus atrophy is substantially altering the dynamics of major thymocyte populations, finally resulting in a relative increase of tTreg cells with an altered TCR repertoire.
Influenza A virus infection‐induced thymus atrophy is accompanied by a significant increase in the frequency of tTreg cells with an altered TCR repertoire, resulting from substantially altered dynamics of major thymocyte populations, namely an increased death of double‐positive (DP) thymocytes and augmented exit of single‐positive (SP) thymocytes.
Class-switch recombination (CSR) is a DNA recombination process that replaces the immunoglobulin (Ig) constant region for the isotype that can best protect against the pathogen. Dysregulation of CSR ...can cause self-reactive BCRs and B cell lymphomas; understanding the timing and location of CSR is therefore important. Although CSR commences upon T cell priming, it is generally considered a hallmark of germinal centers (GCs). Here, we have used multiple approaches to show that CSR is triggered prior to differentiation into GC B cells or plasmablasts and is greatly diminished in GCs. Despite finding a small percentage of GC B cells expressing germline transcripts, phylogenetic trees of GC BCRs from secondary lymphoid organs revealed that the vast majority of CSR events occurred prior to the onset of somatic hypermutation. As such, we have demonstrated the existence of IgM-dominated GCs, which are unlikely to occur under the assumption of ongoing switching.
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•Germline transcripts peak prior to GC formation and rapidly decline in GCs•IgM-dominated clones are found in late GCs, arguing against ongoing Ig switching•CSR largely ceases upon the onset of somatic hypermutation•CSR decline due to low GLT and APE1 expression is possibly orchestrated by BCL6
Germinal centers (GCs) have long been considered sites in which Ig class-switch recombination (CSR) is favored. Roco et al. show that CSR occurs during the initial T cell:B cell interaction prior to GC formation and rapidly declines as B cells differentiate into GC cells and somatic hypermutation commences.
Antibodies somatically mutate to attain high affinity in germinal centers (GCs). There, competition between B cell clones and among somatic mutants of each clone drives an increase in average ...affinity across the population. The extent to which higher-affinity cells eliminating competitors restricts clonal diversity is unknown. By combining multiphoton microscopy and sequencing, we show that tens to hundreds of distinct B cell clones seed each GC and that GCs lose clonal diversity at widely disparate rates. Furthermore, efficient affinity maturation can occur in the absence of homogenizing selection, ensuring that many clones can mature in parallel within the same GC. Our findings have implications for development of vaccines in which antibodies with nonimmunodominant specificities must be elicited, as is the case for HIV-1 and influenza.
The CD2-CD58 recognition system promotes adhesion and signaling and counters exhaustion in human T cells. We found that CD2 localized to the outer edge of the mature immunological synapse, with ...cellular or artificial APC, in a pattern we refer to as a 'CD2 corolla'. The corolla captured engaged CD28, ICOS, CD226 and SLAM-F1 co-stimulators. The corolla amplified active phosphorylated Src-family kinases (pSFK), LAT and PLC-γ over T cell receptor (TCR) alone. CD2-CD58 interactions in the corolla boosted signaling by 77% as compared with central CD2-CD58 interactions. Engaged PD-1 invaded the CD2 corolla and buffered CD2-mediated amplification of TCR signaling. CD2 numbers and motifs in its cytoplasmic tail controlled corolla formation. CD8
tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes displayed low expression of CD2 in the majority of people with colorectal, endometrial or ovarian cancer. CD2 downregulation may attenuate antitumor T cell responses, with implications for checkpoint immunotherapies.
Increasing evidence of a role of chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetes progression has led to the development of therapies targeting the immune system. We develop a model of interleukin-1β dynamics ...in order to explain principles of disease onset. The parameters in the model are derived from in vitro experiments and patient data. In the framework of this model, an IL-1β switch is sufficient and necessary to account for type 2 diabetes onset. The model suggests that treatments targeting glucose bear the potential of stopping progression from pre-diabetes to overt type 2 diabetes. However, once in overt type 2 diabetes, these treatments have to be complemented by adjuvant anti-inflammatory therapies in order to stop or decelerate disease progression. Moreover, the model suggests that while glucose-lowering therapy needs to be continued all the way, dose and duration of the anti-inflammatory therapy needs to be specifically controlled. The model proposes a framework for the discussion of clinical trial outcomes.
A protective humoral response to pathogens requires the development of high affinity antibodies in germinal centers (GC). The combination of antigens available during immunization has a strong impact ...on the strength and breadth of the antibody response. Antigens can display various levels of immunogenicity, and a hierarchy of immunodominance arises when the GC response to an antigen dampens the response to other antigens. Immunodominance is a challenge for the development of vaccines to mutating viruses, and for the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies. The extent by which antigens with different levels of immunogenicity compete for the induction of high affinity antibodies and therefore contribute to immunodominance is not known.
Here, we perform
simulations of the GC response, using a structural representation of antigens with complex surface amino acid composition and topology. We generate antigens with complex domains of different levels of immunogenicity and perform simulations with combinations of these domains.
We found that GC dynamics were driven by the most immunogenic domain and immunodominance arose as affinity maturation to less immunogenic domain was inhibited. However, this inhibition was moderate since the less immunogenic domain exhibited a weak GC response in the absence of the most immunogenic domain. Less immunogenic domains reduced the dominance of GC responses to more immunogenic domains, albeit at a later time point.
The simulations suggest that increased vaccine valency may decrease immunodominance of the GC response to strongly immunogenic domains and therefore, act as a potential strategy for the natural induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies in GC reactions.
The selection of high-affinity B cells and the production of high-affinity antibodies are mediated by T follicular helper cells (Tfhs) within germinal centres (GCs). Therein, somatic hypermutation ...and selection enhance B cell affinity but risk the emergence of self-reactive B cell clones. Despite being outnumbered compared to their helper counterpart, the ablation of T follicular regulatory cells (Tfrs) results in enhanced dissemination of self-reactive antibody-secreting cells (ASCs). The specific mechanisms by which Tfrs exert their regulatory action on self-reactive B cells are largely unknown. We developed computer simulations to investigate how Tfrs regulate either selection or differentiation of B cells to prevent auto-reactivity. We observed that Tfr-induced apoptosis of self-reactive B cells during the selection phase impedes self-reactivity with physiological Tfr numbers, especially when Tfrs can access centrocyte-enriched GC areas. While this aided in selecting non-self-reactive B cells by restraining competition, higher Tfr numbers distracted non-self-reactive B cells from receiving survival signals from Tfhs. Thus, the location and number of Tfrs must be regulated to circumvent such
Tfr distraction
and avoid disrupting GC evolution. In contrast, when Tfrs regulate differentiation of selected centrocytes by promoting recycling to the dark zone phenotype of self-reactive GC resident pre-plasma cells (GCPCs), higher Tfr numbers were required to impede the circulation of self-reactive ASCs (s–ASCs). On the other hand, Tfr-engagement with GCPCs and subsequent apoptosis of s–ASCs can control self-reactivity with low Tfr numbers, but does not confer selection advantage to non-self-reactive B cells. The simulations predict that to restrict auto-reactivity, natural redemption of self-reactive B cells is insufficient and that Tfrs should increase the mutation probability of self-reactive B cells.
SARS-CoV-2 has induced a worldwide pandemic and subsequent non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to control the spread of the virus. As in many countries, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany has led ...to a consecutive roll-out of different NPIs. As these NPIs have (largely unknown) adverse effects, targeting them precisely and monitoring their effectiveness are essential. We developed a compartmental infection dynamics model with specific features of SARS-CoV-2 that allows daily estimation of a time-varying reproduction number and published this information openly since the beginning of April 2020. Here, we present the transmission dynamics in Germany over time to understand the effect of NPIs and allow adaptive forecasts of the epidemic progression.
We used a data-driven estimation of the evolution of the reproduction number for viral spreading in Germany as well as in all its federal states using our model. Using parameter estimates from literature and, alternatively, with parameters derived from a fit to the initial phase of COVID-19 spread in different regions of Italy, the model was optimized to fit data from the Robert Koch Institute.
The time-varying reproduction number (R
) in Germany decreased to <1 in early April 2020, 2-3 weeks after the implementation of NPIs. Partial release of NPIs both nationally and on federal state level correlated with moderate increases in R
until August 2020. Implications of state-specific R
on other states and on national level are characterized. Retrospective evaluation of the model shows excellent agreement with the data and usage of inpatient facilities well within the healthcare limit. While short-term predictions may work for a few weeks, long-term projections are complicated by unpredictable structural changes.
The estimated fraction of immunized population by August 2020 warns of a renewed outbreak upon release of measures. A low detection rate prolongs the delay reaching a low case incidence number upon release, showing the importance of an effective testing-quarantine strategy. We show that real-time monitoring of transmission dynamics is important to evaluate the extent of the outbreak, short-term projections for the burden on the healthcare system, and their response to policy changes.
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