Memory B cells are found in lymphoid and non–lymphoid tissues, suggesting that some may be tissue–resident cells. Here we show that pulmonary influenza infection elicited lung–resident memory B cells (BRM cells) that were phenotypically and functionally distinct from their systemic counterparts. BRM cells were established in the lung early after infection, in part because their placement required local antigen encounter. Lung BRM cells, but not systemic memory B cells, contributed to early plasmablast responses following challenge infection. Following secondary infection, antigen–specific BRM cells differentiated in situ , whereas antigen–non–specific BRM cells were maintained as memory cells. These data demonstrate that BRM cells are an important component of immunity to respiratory viruses like influenza and suggest that vaccines designed to elicit BRM cells must deliver antigen to the lung.

SUMMARY Interleukin 2 (IL-2) promotes Foxp3+-regulatory T (Treg) cell responses, but inhibits T follicular helper (TFH) cell development. However, it is not clear how IL-2 affects T follicular regulatory (TFR) cells, a cell type with properties of both Treg and TFH cells. Using an influenza infection model, we demonstrated that high IL-2 concentrations at the peak of the infection prevented TFR cell development by a Blimp-1–dependent mechanism. However, once the immune response resolved, some Treg cells down-regulated CD25, up-regulated Bcl-6 and differentiated into TFR cells, which then migrated into the B cell follicles to prevent the expansion of self-reactive B cell clones. Thus, unlike its effects on conventional Treg cells, IL-2 inhibits TFR cell responses.

Epigenetic remodeling is required during B cell differentiation. However, little is known about the direct functions of epigenetic enzymes in Ab-secreting cells (ASC) in vivo. In this study, we examined ASC differentiation independent of T cell help and germinal center reactions using mice with inducible or B cell-specific deletions of Following stimulation with influenza virus or LPS,-deficient ASC poorly proliferated and inappropriately maintained expression of inflammatory pathways, B cell-lineage transcription factors, and Blimp-1-repressed genes, leading to fewer and less functional ASC. In the absence of EZH2, genes that normally gained histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation were dysregulated and exhibited increased chromatin accessibility. Furthermore, EZH2 was also required for maximal Ab secretion by ASC, in part due to reduced mitochondrial respiration, impaired glucose metabolism, and poor expression of the unfolded-protein response pathway. Together, these data demonstrate that EZH2 is essential in facilitating epigenetic changes that regulate ASC fate, function, and metabolism.

SummaryHere we test the role of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in controlling T follicular helper (Tfh) and germinal-center (GC) B cell responses to influenza. In contrast to the idea that Tregs suppress T cell responses, we find that Treg depletion severely reduces the Tfh cell response to influenza virus. Furthermore, Treg depletion prevents the accumulation of influenza-specific GCs. These effects are not due to alterations in TGFβ availability or a precursor-progeny relationship between Tregs and Tfh cells, but are instead mediated by increased availability of IL-2, which suppresses the differentiation of Tfh cells and as a consequence, compromises the GC B response. Thus, Tregs promote influenza-specific GC responses by preventing excessive IL-2 signaling, which suppresses Tfh cell differentiation.

Although B cells expressing the IFNγR or the IFNγ-inducible transcription factor T-bet promote autoimmunity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)-prone mouse models, the role for IFNγ signaling in human antibody responses is unknown. We show that elevated levels of IFNγ in SLE patients correlate with expansion of the T-bet expressing IgDnegCD27negCD11c+CXCR5neg (DN2) pre-antibody secreting cell (pre-ASC) subset. We demonstrate that naïve B cells form T-bethi pre-ASCs following stimulation with either Th1 cells or with IFNγ, IL-2, anti-Ig and TLR7/8 ligand and that IL-21 dependent ASC formation is significantly enhanced by IFNγ or IFNγ-producing T cells. IFNγ promotes ASC development by synergizing with IL-2 and TLR7/8 ligands to induce genome-wide epigenetic reprogramming of B cells, which results in increased chromatin accessibility surrounding IRF4 and BLIMP1 binding motifs and epigenetic remodeling of IL21R and PRDM1 loci. Finally, we show that IFNγ signals poise B cells to differentiate by increasing their responsiveness to IL-21.