title: The dynamics of germinal centre selection as measured by graph-theoretical analysis of mutational lineage trees.
abstract: We have developed a rigorous graph-theoretical algorithm for quantifying the shape properties of mutational lineage trees. We show that information about the dynamics of hypermutation and antigen-driven clonal selection during the humoral immune response is contained in the shape of mutational lineage trees deduced from the responding clones. Age and tissue related differences in the selection process can be studied using this method. Thus, tree shape analysis can be used as a means of elucidating humoral immune response dynamics in various situations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunobiology and Histopathology, GKT Medical School, London, UK. deborah.dunn-walters@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Deborah K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Dunn-Walters
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belelovsky
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Edelman
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Ramit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mehr
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000276:immunology*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009154:Mutation