Regulated expression of peripheral node addressin-positive high endothelial venules controls seeding of B lymphocytes into developing neonatal rabbit appendix

Abstract Young rabbit appendix is a homologue of chicken bursa of Fabricius; both are crucial sites for preimmune B-cell repertoire diversification. Here, we report that appendix regulates precursor lymphocyte recruitment for further development by modulating the sites of extravasation. The total area of peripheral node addressin-positive (PNAd + ) high endothelial venules (HEVs) increased from 1 day to 1 week after birth, remained constant up to 2 weeks and declined to a low and persistent amount by 3 weeks. In normal 1-week and manipulated 5-week appendix where growth of follicles was retarded, PNAd + HEVs were present in the basolateral sides of B-cell follicles whereas, in normal 5-wk-appendix these were restricted to T-cell areas. The PNAd was expressed on the lumenal surface of HEVs. The proportions of CD62L + B cells in appendix declined from ∼40% at 3 days to 2–3% at 4 weeks. In lymphocyte transfer experiments, CD62L + B cells were preferentially recruited compared with CD62L − B cells, anti-PNAd antibody blocked migration of B cells by ∼50%, and 100 times more B cells were recruited in 1-week compared to 6-week appendix. Thus, a unique spatiotemporal expression pattern of PNAd + HEVs is associated with development of B-cell follicles. This regulates migration of blood-borne B-lymphocytes into developing appendix by interacting with CD62L.