Induction and analysis of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue

Abstract

Bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) forms spontaneously in the lung after pulmonary infection and has been identified as a highly organized lymphoid structure supporting the efficient priming of T cells in the lung. To explore the mechanisms and instructive signals controlling BALT neogenesis we used both, a single dose of vaccinia virus MVA and repeated inhalations of heat-inactivated Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Intranasal administration of both pathogens induces highly organized BALT but distinct pathways and molecules are used to promote the development of BALT. Here, we describe the induction and phenotype of the distinct types of BALT as well as the immunofluorescence microscopy-based analysis of the induced lymphoid tissue in the lung.