BAFF-receptor function in B cell survival and immune responses (06)

• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: from 2013 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 215346292

The BAFF-receptor (BAFF-R) is a key survival receptor of peripheral B cells. In order to bind its ligand BAFF, BAFF-R has to multimerize. Decreased multimerization caused by a single missense mutation in BAFF-R has been found to impair B cell signalling and B cell responses. Project 06 has found that BAFF-R and the related receptor TACI can form mixed oligomers on human memory B cells. In the second funding period, the detected interactions of BAFF-R and TACI with CD19 in different human B cell populations will be studied. The protease dependent BAFF-R processing pathway will be examined in detail. New knockin mouse models will allow to characterize the mechanistic details of BAFF-R multimerization.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 130: B Cells: Immunity and Autoimmunity
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Co-Applicant Institution: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Hermann Eibel