ABSTRACT
B-1 cells, which constitute a predominant lymphocyte subset in serosal cavities and produce most of natural antibodies, are subdivided into the CD5+ B-1a and CD5- B-1b cell subpopulations, but the differential roles of B-1a and B-1b cells are not well understood. We report that B-1a cells preferentially migrate out of the peritoneal cavity and upregulate the expression of CXCR4 with heightened sensitivity to CXCL12 and CXCL13 upon LPS treatment compared to B-1b and B-2 cells. Whereas B-1a cells were slightly more abundant than B-1b and B-2 cells in the homeostatic condition, the number of B-1a cells preferentially decreased 48 hr after LPS treatment. The decrease in the peritoneal B-1a cell number was accompanied with increased migration of B-1a cells toward CXCL-12 and CXCL-13 in in vitro transmigration assay using peritoneal B cells from LPS treated mice. The expression level of CXCR4, but not of CXCR5, was also more prominently increased in B-1a cells upon LPS stimulation. LPS-stimulated B-1a cells did not accumulate in omental milky spots in contrast to B-2 cells. These results suggest that B-1a cells actively migrate out of the peritoneal cavity through the regulation of the migratory responsiveness to chemokines and actively participate in systemic immune responses.