Control of diverse pathogens requires an adaptive antibody response, dependent on cellular division of labor to allocate antigen-dependent B- and CD4⁺ T-cell fates that collaborate to control the quantity and quality of antibody. This is orchestrated by the dynamic action of key transcriptional regulators mediating gene expression programs in response to pathogen-specific environmental inputs. We describe a conserved, likely ancient, gene regulatory network that intriguingly operates contemporaneously in B and CD4⁺ T cells to control their cell fate dynamics and thus, the character of the antibody response. The remarkable output of this network derives from graded expression, designated by antigen receptor signal strength, of a pivotal transcription factor that regulates alternate cell fate choices.

控制不同病原体需要适应性抗体反应，依赖于细胞分工来分配依赖抗原的 B 和 CD4 ⁺ T 细胞命运，它们协作控制抗体的数量和质量。这是由关键转录调节因子的动态作用协调的，这些调节因子介导基因表达程序以响应病原体特定的环境输入。我们描述了一个保守的，可能是古老的基因调控网络，它在 B 和 CD4 ^{+ 中同时运行}T 细胞控制它们的细胞命运动态，从而控制抗体反应的特征。该网络的显着输出来自调节替代细胞命运选择的关键转录因子的分级表达，由抗原受体信号强度指定。