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The Long Elusive IgM Fc Receptor, FcμR

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Abstract

IgM exists as both a monomer on the surface of B cells and a pentamer secreted by plasma cells. Both pre-immune “natural” and antigen-induced “immune” IgM antibodies are important for protective immunity and for immune regulation of autoimmune processes by recognizing pathogens and self-antigens. Effector proteins interacting with the Fc portion of IgM, such as complement and complement receptors, have thus far been proposed but fail to fully account for the IgM-mediated protection and regulation. A major reason for this deficit in our understanding of IgM function seems to be lack of data on a long elusive Fc receptor for IgM (FcμR). We have recently identified a bona fide FcμR in both humans and mice. In this article we briefly review what we have learned so far about FcμR.

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Acknowledgments

The studies described in this article are accomplished based on the earlier studies on FcμR by Dr. Tatsuharu Ohno and Dr. Tetsuya Nakamura in the laboratory of Dr. Max Cooper and the authors wish to express our gratitude to them for their solid work and to Dr. Max Cooper for his great mentorship. This work was supported in part by National Institute of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Grants AI52243, R56AI82249, and R21AI94624 (to HK). Regretfully, Dr. Toshio Miyawaki, Professor Emeritus of Toyama University, was diseased on February 26, 2014, and we would like to offer our deepest sympathy.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicting financial interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35209, USA

    Hiromi Kubagawa, Satoshi Oka, Yoshiki Kubagawa, Ikuko Torii, Eiji Takayama, Dong-Won Kang, Dewitt Jones, Sheila K. Sanders & Kazuhito Honjo

  2. Hematology and Oncology, Shiga Medical Center for Adults, Shiga, 524-8524, Japan

    Satoshi Oka

  3. Department of Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan

    Ikuko Torii

  4. Department of Oral Biochemistry, Asahi University School of Dentistry, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan

    Eiji Takayama

  5. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Dong-Won Kang

  6. Department of Pediatrics, Toyama University, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan

    Naonori Nishida & Toshio Miyawaki

  7. Brookwood Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, 35209, USA

    Luigi F. Bertoli

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  1. Hiromi Kubagawa
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  2. Satoshi Oka
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  3. Yoshiki Kubagawa
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  9. Toshio Miyawaki
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  12. Kazuhito Honjo
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Correspondence to Hiromi Kubagawa.

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Kubagawa, H., Oka, S., Kubagawa, Y. et al. The Long Elusive IgM Fc Receptor, FcμR. J Clin Immunol 34 (Suppl 1), 35–45 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-014-0022-7

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