Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Language

English

Publication Date

10-10-2025

Journal

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adx9917

PMID

41061049

PMCID

PMC12506935

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

10-8-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

B cells express many protein ligands, yet their regulatory functions are incompletely understood. We profiled ligand expression across murine B sublineage cells, including those activated by defined receptor signals, and assessed their regulatory capacities and specificities through in silico analysis of ligand-receptor interactions. Consequently, we identified a B cell subset that expressed cytokine interleukin-27 (IL-27) and chemokine CXCL10. Through the IL-27–IL-27 receptor interaction, these IL-27/CXCL10-producing B cells targeted CD40-activated B cells in vitro and, upon induction by immunization and viral infection, optimized antibody responses and antiviral immunity in vivo. Also present in breast cancer tumors and retained there through CXCL10-CXCR3 interaction–mediated self-targeting, these cells promoted B cell PD-L1 expression and immune evasion. Mechanistically, Il27 and Cxcl10 transcription was induced by synergizing Toll-like receptor (TLR) and CD40 signals and driven by coinduced transcription factor BATF3, which directly targeted these genes. By applying a discovery framework focusing on regulatory cells, our findings expand the recognized scope of B cell regulatory functions.

Keywords

Animals, Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors, Mice, Chemokine CXCL10, B-Lymphocytes, Ligands, Repressor Proteins, CD40 Antigens, Receptors, CXCR3, Signal Transduction, Humans, Female, Interleukins, Protein Binding

Published Open-Access

yes

Included in

Public Health Commons

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