The Molecular Basis of B-Cell Differentiation and Function

The progress in protein and nucleic acid chemistry together with improvements of the previously employed tissue culture techniques have led to the solution of problems such as that of the generation of antibody diversity or of the molecular structure of T and B cell membrane receptor for antigen which had challenged the past generations of immunologists. Thanks to this progress an impressive amount of knowledge has been accumulated on certain cell types that were relatively "mysterious" until recently. The B lymphocyte represents a typical example of such a cell. With these considerations in mind, we have started to organize a NATO summer school on "The molecular basis of B cell differentation and function" that had the specific aim of bringing up to date a selected number of young investigators. During the course, held in Santa Margheri ta Ligure, October 1-11, 1985 it became apparent that rather than a formal school we had organized an informal series of Workshops where both the Faculty members and the participants were discussing their own data in addition to reviewing the general progress in the field. The deep commi ttment of everyone to his research subj ect and the enthusiasm had caused this very successful change in the shape of the course. At the end we asked the members of the Faculty and the participants to write a summary of their data and of their point of view on selected subj ect s.

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Regulation of the Assembly and Expression of Immunoglobulin Genes: Variable Region Assembly and Heavy Chain Class Switching.- Acquired Alterations Around the C? Gene in Cultured Mouse Myeloma Cells.- Differentiation in the 1.29 B Cell Lymphoma: Precommitment to IgA or IgE Switch in Individual IgM+ Clones.- Transcriptional and Post-Transcriptional Control of Ig-Gene Expression in Murine B-Cells Activated by LPS and Anti-Receptor Antibodies.- Restricted Set of V Genes and Extensive Idiotype Crossreactivity of Autoantibodies.- Antigen-Specific Stimulation of Human Auto-reactive B Lymphocytes.- Isotype Restriction of Idiotopes Found on Human Anti-Carbohydrate Antibodies.- Control of the Mitotic B Cell Cycle: Facts and Speculations.- The Effects of Interleukin 2, Gamma Interferon, and B Cell Differentiation Factor on the Differentiation of Human B Cells.- Regulation of Human B Cell Proliferation and Differentiation by Interleukin 2.- Application of the Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria to the Study of Human B. Cell Proliferation and Differentiation.- A Model for the First Activation Cycle of Human B Lymphocytes.- Control of B Cell Activation by Helper T Cells.- Antigen Processing and Presentation by B Cells.- The Role of Receptor Immunoglobulin in Antigen-Specific, MHC-Restricted T Cell/ B Cell Cooperation.- Clonal Analysis of Human T Lymphocytes Inducing B Cell Growth.- Private and Shared Idiotypic Determinants of the Human T Cell Antigen Receptor.- Molecular Markers of Clonality, Lineage, Differentiation, and Translocation in B Cell Neoplasms.- Heavy Chain Diseases.- Proliferation and Idiotype Secretion by Human B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Cells In Vitro.- Normal and Neoplastic B Lymphocytes Produce Interleukin-1 (IL-I) and Colony Stimulating Factors (CSF).- Reflections on the Physiology of B Lymphocytes.