Germinal center reutilization by newly activated B cells.

Authors

Tanja A Schwickert, The Rockefeller University,
Boris Alabyev, Thomas Jefferson University
Tim Manser, Nanogen Inc., Bothell, WAFollow
Michel C Nussenzweig, The Rockefeller University,

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-21-2009

Comments

This article has been peer reviewed. It was published in: The Journal of experimental medicine.

Volume 206, Issue 13, December 2009, Pages 2907-2914.

The published version is available at DOI: 10.1084/jem.200912251. Copyright © Rockefeller University

Abstract

Germinal centers (GCs) are specialized structures in which B lymphocytes undergo clonal expansion, class switch recombination, somatic hypermutation, and affinity maturation. Although these structures were previously thought to contain a limited number of isolated B cell clones, recent in vivo imaging studies revealed that they are in fact dynamic and appear to be open to their environment. We demonstrate that B cells can colonize heterologous GCs. Invasion of primary GCs after subsequent immunization is most efficient when T cell help is shared by the two immune responses; however, it also occurs when the immune responses are entirely unrelated. We conclude that GCs are dynamic anatomical structures that can be reutilized by newly activated B cells during immune responses.

Recommended Citation

Schwickert, Tanja A; Alabyev, Boris; Manser, Tim; and Nussenzweig, Michel C, "Germinal center reutilization by newly activated B cells." (2009). Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers. Paper 34.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/mifp/34

PubMed ID

19934021