The involvement of endogenous semaphorin (Sema4D) into the key stage of T-dependent differentiation of B cells, formation of plasmoblasts, was demonstrated in vitro in T/B cell co-culture under conditions of polyclonal activation of T cells. The effect of semaphorin was not associated with activation of high-affinity Sema4D receptor plexin B1, but involves lowaffinity receptor CD72. These data indicate that Sema4D-dependent signal regulates not only the initial stage of B-cell activation, proliferative response to the antigen, but also further differentiation of B cells into plasma cells.
Keywords: Sema4D; differentiation of B cells; plasmablasts.