title: Activated germinal centre B cells undergo directed migration.
abstract: Affinity maturation, the fundamental basis for adaptive immunity, is accomplished through somatic hypermutation of B-cell receptors followed by expansion of rare mutants with higher affinity for the immunising antigen. This process occurs over a period of weeks in unique micro-anatomic sites known as germinal centres. Two-photon microscopy has recently made it possible to track individual cells moving within germinal centres in living animals. Here we apply statistical approaches to test the hypothesis that B-cell motion is random. Our results show that activated B cells move in a directed manner that sharply contrasts with the behaviour of naïve B cells.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. mark.oconnor@aya.yale.edu
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Anja E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Haberman
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kleinstein
mesh_terms: D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002465:Cell Movement; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000276:immunology*; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell