Plasma cell ontogenies, functions, and lifespans
Abstract
B cell development is one of the best-understood processes within the immune system. Coordination between transcriptional programs and antigen receptor assembly determines B cell fate, diversifies the antibody repertoire, and allocates specificities to the best-suited subsets. This enables B cells to respond to a wide variety of challenges, which, when encountered, can lead B cells to seemingly converge upon a common fate: the antibody-secreting plasma cell. Yet, as we discuss in this review, this convergence is not complete. Developmental origins, anatomical sites, the nature of the challenge, and other factors all leave their marks on plasma cells in ways that diversify their functions and longevity. Looking forward, these marks may provide targets to engineer vaccines that provide durable antibody-mediated immunity.
