title: Trafficking of B cell antigen in lymph nodes.
abstract: The clonal selection theory first proposed by Macfarlane Burnet is a cornerstone of immunology (1). At the time, it revolutionized the thinking of immunologists because it provided a simple explanation for lymphocyte specificity, immunological memory, and elimination of self-reactive clones (2). The experimental demonstration by Nossal & Lederberg (3) that B lymphocytes bear receptors for a single antigen raised the central question of where B lymphocytes encounter antigen. This question has remained mostly unanswered until recently. Advances in techniques such as multiphoton intravital microscopy (4, 5) have provided new insights into the trafficking of B cells and their antigen. In this review, we summarize these advances in the context of our current view of B cell circulation and activation.
authors.affiliation: The Immune Disease Institute and Program in Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Santiago F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Søren E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Degn
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pitcher
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woodruff
authors.forename: Balthasar A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Heesters
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Carroll
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens