B cells are responsible for producing and releasing antibodies to specific antigens, and hence, are an essential component of the humoral immune response.

B cells are mediators of the humoral response, or antibody-mediated immunity. By studying this particular cell group we learn more about the inner workings of the immune system, which consequently increases our awareness of the possible causes behind a variety of autoimmune disorders and cancers. Broad immunological research unlocks valuable insight of what future steps might be taken to treat these pathologies.

Development from stem cell to B cell

Generation of the B cell begins in the bone marrow where stem cells give rise to lymphoid cells. Throughout each stage of development the antibody locus— a site where an antigen interacts with the cell— undergoes genetic recombination. This recombination is specific to the developmental stage of the B cell. Development starts with the pro-B cell, which expresses Igα and Igβ. The cell matures further into the pre-B cell that expresses the pre-B cell receptor (Igμ) on its surface. Maturation in the bone marrow ends with the naïve B cell that expresses the B cell receptor (containing IgM and IgD) capable of recognizing an antigen. These cells then leave the bone marrow and enter the periphery (Cambier JC, et al. Nat Rev Immunol. 2007).

Subtypes of conventional B cells

Conventional B cells, also referred to as B-2 cells, terminally differentiate into one of two common subtypes upon activation:

  • Plasma B cells: a plasma cell is the sentry of the immune system. The naïve B cell circulates throughout the body. When it encounters a unique antigen, the plasma cell takes in the antigen through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Antigenic particles are transferred to the cell surface, loaded onto MHC II molecules and presented to a helper T cell. The binding of the helper T cell to the MHC II-antigen complex activates the B cell. The activated B cell goes through a period of rapid proliferation and somatic hypermutation. Selection occurs for those cells that produce antibodies with a high affinity for that particular antigen. Once terminally differentiated, the plasma B cell only secretes antibodies specific for that antigen and can no longer generate antibodies to other antigens.
  • Memory B cells: memory cells are held in reserve, in the germinal centers of the lymphatic system, for when the immune system re-encounters a specific antigen. During any repeat exposure the follicular helper T cell causes the memory cell to differentiate into a plasma B cell that has a greater sensitivity to that specific antigen. This jump-starts the immune system to mount a quicker, more powerful response than was possible previously.

Other B cell subtypes include:

  • B-1 cells: a minor subtype, only about 5% in humans, of self-renewing fetal B cells that act in a similar fashion to plasma cells. B-1 cells are primarily present during fetal and neonatal life.
  • Marginal zone (MZ) B cells: mature memory B cells that are found only in the marginal zone of the spleen. These cells can be activated through toll-like receptor-ligation and not necessarily through the B cell receptor.
  • Follicular (FO) B cells: these are mature, but inactive, B cells. This subset of B cells is primarily found in the follicles of the spleen and lymph nodes. Activation of these cells requires the aid of T cells. FO B cells can differentiate into either plasma or memory B cells.
  • Regulatory B (Breg) cells: Breg cells negatively regulate the strength of the immune response and inflammation by secreting chemical messages called cytokines, such as IL-10. Although these cells make up a small portion of the B cell population (~0.5% in humans), it is thought that loss of functional Breg cells contributes to autoimmune disorders.
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Immunophenotyping of B cells through flow cytometry

Immature B cells express CD19, CD 20, CD34, CD38, and CD45R, but not IgM. For most mature B cells the key markers include IgM and CD19, a protein receptor for antigens (Kaminski DA. Front Immunol. 2012). Activated B cells express CD30, a regulator of apoptosis. Plasma B cells lose CD19 expression, but gain CD78, which is used to quantify these cells. Memory B cells can be immunophenotyped using CD20 and CD40 expression. The cells can be further categorized using CD80 and PDL-2 regardless of the type of immunoglobulin present on the cell surface (Zuccarino-Catania GV et al. Nat Immunol. 2014.). Globally, cytokines (such as interlukein-10) and chemokines involved with chemokine receptor 3 play an important role in transmitting the biological messages to drive the immune response.

 

B-Cell Marker BLCAM
B-Cell Marker BLCAM

A table of common B cell subtypes with some cell markers which can be useful for flow cytometry:

B Cell Type Marker Cellular localization
B cell (all except plasma cell) IgM, CD19 Secreted
Activated B cell CD19, CD25, CD30 Secreted
Plasma cell IgG, CD27, CD38, CD78, CD138, CD319 Secreted
Plasma cell IL-6 Secreted (cytokine)
Plasma cell CD138 Cell membrane
Memory cell IgA, IgG, IgE, CD20, CD27, CD40, CD80, PDL-2 Secreted
Memory cell CXCR3, CXCR4, CXCR5, CXCR6 Secreted (chemokines)
Marginal zone B cells CD1, CD21, CD27 Secreted
Marginal zone B cells Notch2 Cell membrane
Follicular B cells IgD, CD21, CD22, CD23 Secreted
Regulatory B cells IgD, CD1, CD5, CD21, CD24, TLR4 Secreted
Regulatory B cells IL-10, TGFβ Secreted (cytokines)

 

The immune system consists of many different cell types, whose functions and interactions govern the immune response. In research, the specific composition of cell surface antigens is exploited to accurately define the different cell types. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry is the most common method to identify, quantify, and isolate immune cells within mixed populations. However, selecting which antigens are best to identify a specific cell type can be challenging due to the vast number of research articles and lack of consensus around immunophenotyping panels.

In response to this issue, we have reviewed over 250 research articles studying human and mouse cells and compiled the most commonly used markers for each immune cell type. With this selection, you can quickly and easily build your own immunophenotyping panel, freeing up more of your time for research.

Immune cell markers

Many immune cell markers are named following the clusters of differentiation (CD) nomenclature, aimed at providing targets for cell immunophenotyping. In the table below we have summarized the relevant CD markers for the identification and quantification of both human and mouse immune cells.

For each CD marker, we strive to provide antibodies tested in several applications to guarantee sensitivity and specificity. Please see example data below for WB, ICC, IHC, and flow cytometry with our recombinant anti-integrin alpha 5 antibody (ab150361). Find out more about recombinant antibodies.

ELISA PLATE READER : MICRO READ 1000

1000 Global Diagnostics B 1 unit 2628 EUR

ELISA PLATE WASHER : MICRO WASH 1100

1100 Global Diagnostics B 1 unit 2403.6 EUR

ELISA PLATE SHAKER : MICRO SHAKE 1200

1200 Global Diagnostics B 1 unit 916.8 EUR

Dendritic Cells/B Cells Antibody

abx412775-02mg Abbexa 0.2 mg 678 EUR

Human CD19+ B Cells

T4123 ABM 5x10^5 cells / 1.0 ml Ask for price

CD40 B Cells Antibody

GWB-375761 GenWay Biotech 0.2 mg Ask for price

B Cells Antibody (FITC)

GWB-A84CAA GenWay Biotech 100 TESTS Ask for price

Immortalized Human B Cells

CSC-I9357Z Creative Bioarray One Frozen vial Ask for price

Rat Pan B Cells antibody

10R-B124a Fitzgerald 50 ug Ask for price

CD19 Antibody (Pan B Cells)

GWB-6E699A GenWay Biotech 0.2 mg Ask for price

Rat Splenocytes CD45+ B Cells

ABC-TC4225 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

StimPack: Memory B cells, human

3660-1 Mabtech AB 100 µg + 1 µg 194.25 EUR

StimPack: Memory B cells, mouse

3661-1 Mabtech AB 100 µg + 0.5 µg 194.25 EUR

HARA-B Cells Complete Medium

CM-0724 Elabscience Biotech 125ml×4 98 EUR

Mouse Splenocytes CD19+ B Cells

ABC-TC3938 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

CD79a, B Cells Antibody, Concentrate

MAB895C Innovex 0.2ml 485 EUR

Human B Cells-Negatively Selected

ABC-TC3509 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

Human Cord Blood CD19+ B Cells

ABC-TC3368 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

Human Cord Blood CD19+ B Cells

CBCD19-C2.5M 101Bio 2.5 million 906 EUR

Human Cord Blood CD19+ B Cells

CBCD19-C5M 101Bio 5 million 1078.8 EUR

Human Cord Blood CD19+ B Cells

CBCD19-F5M 101Bio 5 million 1198.8 EUR

HEC-1-B Cells Complete Medium

CM-0100-125mL4 Elabscience Biotech 125 mL×4 98 EUR

Rat CD45Ra Antibody (B Cells Only)

GWB-6A11BA GenWay Biotech 0.25 mg Ask for price

Rat CD45Ra Antibody (B Cells Only)

GWB-F09251 GenWay Biotech 1 mg Ask for price

Rat CD45Ra Antibody (B Cells Only)

GWB-D60850 GenWay Biotech 0.1 mg Ask for price

HEC-1-B Cells Complete Medium

CM-0100 Elabscience Biotech 125mL×4 98 EUR

Human Peripheral Blood CD19+ B Cells

ABC-TC3986 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

Human B lymphocyte / GFP Stable Cells

SC060-G GenTarget 2 x 106 cell/ml x 1ml 2670 EUR

Human B lymphocyte / RFP Stable Cells

SC060-R GenTarget 2 x 106 cell/ml x 1ml 2670 EUR

CD20 (L26), B Cells Antibody, Concentrate

MAB327C Innovex 0.2ml 395 EUR

B cells and T cells (Pan) mouse monoclonal antibody, clone HIS23, Supernatant

AM39050SU-N Origene Technologies GmbH 1 ml Ask for price

Streptococcus Group B protein (inactivated cells)

30-AS86 Fitzgerald 1 ml 155 EUR

Human Frozen/Untouched PB CD19+ B Cells

ABC-TC3437 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

Dendritic cells + B-cells mouse monoclonal antibody, clone RFD1, Supernatant

SM1210 Origene Technologies GmbH 200 µg Ask for price

Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells for B-ALI

ABC-TC3138 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

Human B lymphocyte (Luciferase / GFP) Stable Cells

SC060-LG GenTarget 2 x 106 cell/ml x 1ml 3540 EUR

Human B lymphocyte (Luciferase / RFP) Stable Cells

SC060-LR GenTarget 2 x 106 cell/ml x 1ml 3540 EUR

Human Fetal Liver Cells CD34+ Cells

ABC-TC3421 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

CMV Specific T Cells, HLA-B*35 restricted

ABC-SC0152T AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

CD20 (L26), B Cells Antibody, Ready-To-Use

MAB327P Innovex 7ml 395 EUR

Human Fetal Liver Cells CD133+ Cells

ABC-TC3420 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

anti-IgM Heavy chain expressed on B cells

522-A Virogen 1 MG 850 EUR

anti-IgM Heavy chain expressed on B cells

522-A-01mg Virogen 0,1 mg 321 EUR

anti-IgM Heavy chain expressed on B cells

522-A-1000ug Virogen 1000 ug 1539 EUR

anti-IgM Heavy chain expressed on B cells

522-A-100ugvial Virogen 100 ug/vial 150 EUR

B-CPAP [BC-PAP; BCPAP] Cells Complete Medium

CM-0575-125mL4 Elabscience Biotech 125 mL×4 98 EUR

B-CPAP [BC-PAP; BCPAP] Cells Complete Medium

CM-0575 Elabscience Biotech 125mL×4 98 EUR

Human Frozen/Positively Selected PB CD19+ B Cells

ABC-TC3434 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

CD7 (T cells and NK cells), Antibody

GWB-20A27F GenWay Biotech 0.2 mg Ask for price

anti-Transferrin receptor on activated T-B-, cells

518-A Virogen 1 MG 850 EUR

anti-Transferrin receptor on activated T-B- cells

518-A-01mg Virogen 0,1 mg 321 EUR

anti-Transferrin receptor on activated T-B- cells

518-A-1000ug Virogen 1000 ug 1539 EUR

anti-Transferrin receptor on activated T-B-, cells

518-A-100ugvial Virogen 100 ug/vial 150 EUR

Human Blood CD14+ Cells, 10 million cells

ABC-TC3110 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

Human Blood CD14+ Cells, 20 million cells

ABC-TC3111 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

Human Blood CD14+ Cells, 40 million cells

ABC-TC3112 AcceGen 1 vial Ask for price

5637 cells

C0002001 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

293 cells

A007 ABM 1x10^6 450 EUR

K1 cells

C0025003 Addexbio One Frozen vial 520 EUR

RD cells

C0035001 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

FO cells

C0003017 Addexbio One Frozen vial 400 EUR

A9 cells

P0011007 Addexbio One Frozen vial 420 EUR

BJ cells

P0020005 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

ST cells

P0028002 Addexbio One Frozen vial 420 EUR

FM Cells

T8282 ABM 1x10^6 cells/1.0ml 1350 EUR

C6 Cells

T8961 ABM 1x10^6 cells / 1.0 ml 650 EUR

F9 Cells

T8965 ABM 1x10^6 cells / 1.0 ml 650 EUR

A10.7 cells

C0018006 Addexbio One Frozen vial 520 EUR

C32 cells

C0020002 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

N87 cells

C0023002 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

AGS cells

C0023004 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

R2C cells

C0028001 Addexbio One Frozen vial 420 EUR

Y79 cells

C0029001 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

NB3 cells

C0033003 Addexbio One Frozen vial 520 EUR

RS4;11 cells

C0003012 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

REH cells

C0003031 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR

4T1 cells

C0006004 Addexbio One Frozen vial 390 EUR
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PCR Mix
L5051100

 

 

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