The Fas antigen and Fas-mediated apoptosis in B-cell differentiation.

In the B-cell lineage, Fas, a type 1 membrane protein belonging to the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF) family, is expressed on B-cells at a restricted developmental stage and on activated B-cells, but not on naive mature B-cells. Apoptosis mediated by Fas-Fas ligand interactions may be involved in the peripheral elimination of autoreactive B-cells and in the regulation of the immune response through deletion of B-cells activated by foreign antigens, as for the T-cell lineage. Fas-mediated apoptosis associated with B-cell activation is affected by costimulation through other accessory signaling molecules like CD40, whose ligands are on T-cells.