B lymphocytes are an essential part of the adaptive immune system responsible for producing antibodies against different threats and invading pathogens. The efficiency of antibody production is determined by the ability of B cells to acquire, process and present antigens encountered either in a soluble or surface-tethered form1,2. Recognition of antigens attached to the surface of a presenting cell, by the BCR, leads to the formation of a close intercellular contact termed IS3,4. Within this dynamic platform both BCR-dependent downstream signaling and internalization of antigens into endo-lysosome compartments takes place. Uptaken antigens are processed and assembled onto MHC-II molecules and subsequently presented to T lymphocytes. Productive B-T interactions, termed B-T cell cooperation, allow B lymphocytes to receive the appropriate signals, which promote their differentiation into antibody-producing plasma cells or memory cells8.
Two mechanisms have been involved in antigen extraction by B cells. The first one relies on the secretion of proteases originating from lysosomes which undergo recruitment and fusion at the synaptic cleft5,6. The second one, depends on Myosin IIA-mediated pulling forces that triggers the invagination of antigen containing membranes which are internalized into clathrin-coated pits7. The mode of antigen extraction relies on the physical properties of the membrane in which antigens are found. Nevertheless, in both cases, B cells undergo two major remodeling events: actin cytoskeleton reorganization and polarization of organelles to the IS. Actin cytoskeleton remodeling involves an initial spreading stage, where actin-dependent protrusions at the synaptic membrane increase the surface in contact with the antigen. This is followed by a contraction phase, where BCRs coupled with antigens are concentrated at the center of the IS by the concerted action of molecular motors and actin cytoskeleton remodeling8,9,10,11. Polarization of organelles also relies on the remodeling of actin cytoskeleton. For instance, the centrosome becomes uncoupled from the nucleus, by local depolymerization of associated actin, which allows the repositioning of this organelle to the IS5,12. In B cells, repositioning of the centrosome to one cell pole (IS) guides lysosome recruitment to the synaptic membrane, which upon secretion can facilitate the extraction and/or processing of surface-tethered antigens6. Lysosomes recruited at the IS are enriched with MHC-II, which favors the formation of peptide-MHC-II complexes in endosomal compartments to be presented to T cells13. Additionally, the Golgi apparatus has also been observed to be closely recruited to the IS14, suggesting that Golgi-derived vesicles from the secretory pathway could be involved in antigen extraction and/or processing.
Altogether, intracellular organelle and cytoskeleton rearrangements in B cells during synapse formation are the key steps that allow efficient antigen acquisition and processing required for their further activation. In this work we introduce detailed protocols on how to perform imaging and biochemical analysis in B cells to study the intracellular remodeling of organelles associated with the formation of an IS. These techniques include: (i) Immunofluorescence and image analysis of B cells activated with antigen-coated beads and on antigen-coated coverslips, which allows visualization and quantification of intracellular components that are mobilized to the IS and (ii) isolation of centrosome-enriched fractions in B cells by ultracentrifugation on sucrose gradients, which allows the identification of proteins associated with the centrosome, potentially involved in regulating cell polarity.