Effects of adiponectin stimulation on B cell expression of T-bet and CD36. 

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Presentation Time: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
Poster Board Number: B730
Abstract ID: 4469

Presenting Author:
G. Sophia Noriega , Undergraduate Student Researcher at St. Mary's Univ.

Abstract:

B cells expressing the transcription factor T-bet have been shown to accumulate within white adipose tissue (WAT) during obesity and contribute to the development of obesity-related metabolic dysfunction. Our lab and others have also observed that in vivo, T-bet+ B cells have elevated expression of the lipid scavenger receptor CD36, indicating increased reliance on fatty acid metabolism in these cells compared to other B cell subsets. Adiponectin is a WAT-derived protein that exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in the context of obesity. However, serum levels of this adipokine are elevated in many autoimmune pathologies associated with T-bet+ B cell accumulation. While the factors resulting in T-bet+ B cell differentiation have been elucidated, the potential influence of WAT-derived hormones such as adiponectin on B cell fatty acid metabolism and T-bet expression have not been determined. In this work, we investigated the impact of adiponectin stimulation on B cell expression of T-bet and CD36 using flow cytometry. Preliminary evidence revealed that in vitro stimulation of murine splenocytes with the TLR7/8 agonist R848 drives robust CD36 and T-bet expression in B cells, consistent with our in vivo findings. Subsequent studies will utilize isolated murine B cells stimulated with R848 in the presence or absence of AdipoRon, a synthetic agonist of the adiponectin receptor 1 and 2, to elucidate the effect of adiponectin on B cell T-bet and CD36 expression.