title: SnapShot: the germinal center reaction.
abstract: To produce high-affinity antibodies, B cells must undergo iterative cycles of targeted mutagenesis and affinity-based selection. These cycles take place in a structure known as the germinal center, which forms in secondary lymphoid organs upon exposure to antigenic stimuli. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the germinal center reaction.
authors.affiliation: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Victora
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens