High-affinity allergen-specific human antibodies cloned from single IgE B cell transcriptomes

Abstract

IgE B cells unmasked Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies play a central role in immune responses against helminth and protozoan parasites; however, they also contribute to allergies. IgE antibodies (and the B cells generating them) are rare and thus poorly characterized. Croote et al. performed single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood B cells from patients with peanut allergies and delineated each cell's gene expression, splice variants, and antibody sequences (see the Perspective by Gould and Ramadani). Unlike other isotypes, circulating IgE B cells were mostly immature plasmablasts. Surprisingly, certain IgE antibodies manifested identical gene rearrangements in unrelated individuals. These IgE antibodies showed high affinity and unexpected cross-reactivity to peanut allergens. Science , this issue p. 1306 ; see also p. 1247