Murine IgD+B Cells transcriptome analysis -untreated and when stimulated with LPS

Transcriptome comparison of untreated murine IgD+B cell with LPS treated IgD+B cell B-lymphocytes constitute an important aspect of mammalian immune systems by virtue of their ability to produce highly specific antibodies in response to foreign antigens and pathogens. When B-lymphocytes encounter the particular antigen that they are responsive to, they differentiate into two types of cells: short-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells and long-lived memory cells. While the plasma B cells are responsible for the rapid resolution of a current infection or immune challenge, the memory B cells are responsible for mounting a rapid response to subsequent exposures. Previous work had demonstrated that treatment of mice with a single dose of anti-CD40 at the time of immunization lead to improved secondary responses, suggesting an enhancement of the memory B cell pool. We are currently studying the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of memory B cells, using CD40 signalling as a tool. We have carried out a Microarray analyses of genome wide gene expression patterns in naïve B-lymphocytes following CD40 signalling, over multiple time points. Analysis used untreated IgD+B cells as control for comparison to LPS treated cells as test. Indirect comparisons were made across multiple arrays with raw data pulled from different channels for data analysis and comparison to the control data.