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Science 2 July 1999:
Vol. 285. no. 5424, p. 9
DOI: 10.1126/science.285.5424.9l
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B and T cells are lymphocytes, each cell carrying one antigen receptor that is randomly generated. Although it is known that T cells go through two selection processes, one positive and one negative, to produce the final repertoire of receptors, similar selection processes in B cells have been more difficult to study. It is known that they must pass a negative selection hurdle, as most autoreactive B cells are weeded out. However, human serum contains "natural autoantibodies." Hayakawa et al. (p. 113) devised a system to test if a self-antigen could positively select for B cells by promoting their survival. They found that B cells specific for the self-antigen were dependent on the presence of that antigen for their accumulation and the production of autoreactive antibodies.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)