1. Hypothesized response to LPS in red-eared slider turtles.
Hypothesized response to LPS in red-eared slider turtles. (A) In the absence of antigen stimulation, some turtle B cells secrete antibodies, as demonstrated in the media-only wells of the ELISpot. In this case, B-cells D and F are secreting antibodies. All B cells produce a membrane-bound antibody, but B-cell E is not secreting antibodies. (B) When stimulated with antigen, as demonstrated in the wells of the ELISpot that were cultured in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), more cells produce antibodies and each cell secretes more antibodies compared with the unstimulated wells. So, in this case, B-cells D, E and F all produce antibodies. We hypothesize that the antibody produced from all B cells is a natural antibody (NAb)-like antibody that is polyreactive and of low affinity. Although we cannot determine the mode of activation at this point, we also hypothesize that the B cell is most likely activated via the Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway as shown in B-cell E.
Laura M. Zimmerman et al. J Exp Biol 2013;216:
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