Year: 2005
Type: article
Abstract: The present status of germinal center (GC) research is revisited using in silico simulations based on recent lymphocyte motility data in mice. The generally adopted view of several rounds of somatic hypermutations and positive selection is analyzed with special emphasis on the spatial organization of the GC reaction. We claim that the development of dark zones is not necessary for successful GC reactions to develop. We find that a recirculation of positively selected centrocytes to the dark zone is rather unlikely. Instead we propose a scenario that combines a multiple-step mutation and selection concept with a "one-way" GC in the sense of cell migration.
Source: The Journal of Immunology
Authors: Michael E Meyer-Hermann, Philip K Maini
Language: English
Topic: T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2137783233