B Cells Use Mechanical Energy to Discriminate Antigen Affinities

Abstract

B Cell Tug of War High-affinity, protective antibodies made by B cells are critical for providing long-term protection against reinfection. In order to produce antibodies, B cells must first bind to and extract antigens from the surface of antigen-presenting cells. Using an in vitro system that allows B cells to bind to antigenladen, flexible membranes, Natkanski et al. (p. 1587 , published online 16 May) show that antigen extraction relies on myosin IIA–mediated contractile forces that pull upon the antigen-presenting membrane. These forces break the antigen-receptor bonds if affinity is low, thus ensuring that B cells only extract, internalize, and presumably respond to, high-affinity antigens.