The role of germinal centers for antiviral B cell responses.

Journal article

Germinal centers (GCs) are crucially involved in T cell-dependent B cell responses. B cells rapidly proliferate within GCs and their Ig variable region genes undergo hypermutation. Cognate T helper cells and antigen presented in native form on follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) select B cells expressing high-affinity Igs, leading to affinity maturation and the generation of memory B cells. In addition to these well-established functions of GCs, this article presents evidence that they also play a crucial role for the maintenance of specific memory Ig titers and for the prevention of viral antibody escape mutants.

Authors: Bachmann, M

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Immunologic research
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 329-344
• Publication date: 1998-01-01
• DOI: 10.1007/bf02786455
• EISSN: 1559-0755
• ISSN: 0257-277X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Haptens; Immunologic Memory; Immune Tolerance; B-Lymphocytes; Germinal Center; Mice; Antibody Affinity; Mice, Mutant Strains; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; Viruses; Antibodies, Viral; Animals; Immunoglobulins