Plasma cell and memory B cell differentiation from the germinal center.
Germinal centers (GCs) form in secondary lymphoid tissues in response to antigenic challenge and are the site of somatic hypermutation, generating GC B cells with increasing affinity for the inciting agent that are positively selected over time. However, it is not until GC B cells differentiate into memory B cells and plasma cells and egress from the GC back into the circulation that effective long-lived humoral immunity is conferred upon the host. Here we review what is known about the signals that initiate the transition from a GC B cell into the memory B cell and plasma cell compartments and the downstream transcriptional regulation of these processes.
Immunology Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Westmead Hospital, 180 Hawkesbury Rd, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
Dan
D
Suan
Immunology Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.
Christopher
C
Sundling
Immunology Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Australia, 390 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia. Electronic address: r.brink@garvan.org.au.
Robert
R
Brink
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*