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Ultrastructural study of highly enriched follicular dendritic cells reveals their morphology and the periodicity of immune complex binding

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Abstract

Follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) are immune accessory cells found in the follicles of secondary lymphoid organs where they promote B cell maturation in germinal centers (GCs) that develop following antigen exposure. Recently, we published a method for isolating functional murine FDCs in high purity. We reasoned that disruption of FDC reticula in vivo would alter FDC morphology. The present study was undertaken to determine the morphological features of isolated FDCs. FDC-M1 and immune complex (IC) labeling were used to identify FDCs in isolated preparations. Results at the light-microscopic level revealed that isolated FDCs trapped ICs, expressed FDC-M1 and cadherins, but generally appeared non-dendritic. However, at the ultrastructural level, the majority of FDCs exhibited dendrites and typical euchromatic nuclei that appeared as single, bilobed, or double nuclei. Based on morphology, four varieties of FDCs were distinguishable, possibly indicative of differences in maturity. Remarkably, ICs trapped by FDCs showed a distinctive periodic arrangement consistent with that known to induce immune responses by thymus independent-2 (TI-2) antigens that engage and cross-link multiple B cell receptors. The ability of FDCs to trap ICs and then display these T-cell-dependent antigens with repeating periodicity suggests that multiple B cell receptors are cross-linked by antigen on FDCs, thus promoting B cell stimulation and proliferation. Rapid proliferation is characteristic of the GC reaction, and the arrangement of T-dependent antigens in this periodic fashion may help to explain the profuse B cell proliferation in the GC microenvironment.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mrs. Judy Williamson for her excellent technical assistance in preparing samples for transmission electron microscopy. We also thank Ms. Natasha Purdie for her assistance with the confocal microscopy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980678, Richmond, VA 23298-0678, USA

    Selvakumar Sukumar, Mohey Eldin El Shikh & John G. Tew

  2. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA

    Andras K. Szakal

Authors
  1. Selvakumar Sukumar
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  2. Mohey Eldin El Shikh
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  3. John G. Tew
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  4. Andras K. Szakal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John G. Tew.

Additional information

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant AI-17142. Electron microscopy and confocal microscopy were performed at the VCU Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy Microscopy Facility supported, in part, by funding from an NIH-NINDS Center core grant (5P30NS047463).

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Sukumar, S., El Shikh, M.E., Tew, J.G. et al. Ultrastructural study of highly enriched follicular dendritic cells reveals their morphology and the periodicity of immune complex binding. Cell Tissue Res 332, 89–99 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-007-0566-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-007-0566-4

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