A
germinal center is a specialized area within our immune system where immune cells called B lymphocytes develop and mature. It's like a workshop where these cells receive instructions to produce antibodies to fight off infections and diseases. It is an important place for our body's defense system.
Full definition
The affinity of B cell receptor for antigen and the expression level of Bach2 are inversely correlated
in germinal center B cells.
For the study, the research team used mice engineered to lack CTCF specifically in
germinal center B lymphocytes.
To learn more about this research, please view the full research report entitled «Regulated selection
of germinal center cells into the memory B cell compartment» at this page of the Nature Immunology website.
Explaining the background to the research, Dr. Ramiro describes how «an essential process in antibody generation takes place in structures
called germinal centers, where antibody genes undergo small modifications that increase the efficiency and specificity of the immune response.
Besides the reduced numbers of helper T cells in the DLNs, the researchers also found that the lymph node environment in older mice contained lower levels of immune stimulators (so - called chemokines) and therefore was less capable of attracting other immune cells necessary for
germinal center formation.
Their results demonstrated shared mechanisms by which miR -17-92 mediates cGVHD progression — namely by regulating T helper - cell differentiation, B - cell activation,
germinal center responses, and autoantibody production.
Representative images lymph nodes in a control mouse (left) and a mouse lacking CTCF (right),
showing germinal centers in the control mouse (red).
Increased spontaneous tumorigenesis; accelerated development of HBV - induced premalignant lesions; mammary gland and
splenic germinal center hyperplasia.
Scientists at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have identified a group of antiviral T cells that do have the entry code
into germinal centers, a molecule called CXCR5.
The green areas are B cell follicles
within germinal centers, specialized areas of lymph nodes where HIV - infected cells hide out.
Activated B cells give
rise germinal centers (shown in red), where mature B cells proliferate and produce highly specific antibodies against pathogens.
However, some lymphomas are associated with activated Foxo1, and Kurosaki and his team observed that
inside germinal centers, B cells with Foxo1 suppressed will actually lower in numbers.
«Reservoir divers: Select antiviral cells can access HIV's hideouts: Persistent infected cells live
in germinal centers.»
These roles of EBI2 in DCs are necessary for supporting normal CD4 T cell and B cell proliferative responses, and early plasma cell and
germinal center responses to particulate blood - borne antigens.
This image
shows germinal center (rectangle) in the spleen of an immunized mouse, showing inactivated GSK3 (magenta) in B cells (blue) near follicular dendritic cells (green).
The NP - reactive B cells from
splenic germinal centers (GC) were recovered by microdissection of frozen tissue sections and their rearranged Ig heavy chain variable region (VH) genes of the V186.2 / V3 families were sequenced.
In the older mice, the researchers found,
germinal center formation was delayed, consistent with the blunted early antibody response.
Mean (± SE) frequency of plasma cells and
germinal center B cells are indicated next to each gate (n = 3 mice).
When antigens such as viruses and vaccines enter the human body,
germinal centers are produced within secondary lymph nodes and memory B cells are then induced from germinal - center B cells.
In this phase II trial, patients with the activated B - cell - like (ABC) subtype of DLBCL were more likely to respond to ibrutinib than patients with
the germinal center B - cell - like (GCB) subtype of DLBCL.
Researchers showed that loss of mTOR delayed the formation of the immune structure called
a germinal center.
A group of T cells called follicular helper T cells or Tfh cells were already known to be in
germinal centers and to display CXCR5.
«They have access to the right locations —
germinal centers — and they're functionally superior.»
Those cells hide out in
germinal centers, specialized areas of lymph nodes, which most «killer» antiviral T cells don't have access to.
The study published today in Nature Communications analyzes the role played by CTCF in
the germinal center differentiation program.
The germinal center reaction generates two types of cell: antibody - secreting plasma B cells, which combat infection, and memory B cells, which persist as a reservoir of cells that remember the first infection and permit a faster and more efficient immune activation in response to subsequent encounters with the same pathogen.
These 2 transitions are coordinated by 2 transcriptional repressors: Bcl - 6, the master regulator of
the germinal center, and Blimp - 1, which regulates the transcriptional program in plasma cells.»
«Together,» explains Dr. Ramiro, «the results indicate that CTCF is important for maintaining
the germinal center differentiation program and prevents premature differentiation towards plasma cells.»
In vitro experiments and high - throughput RNA sequencing revealed that CTCF deletion profoundly altered the B lymphocyte transcriptional program, shifting cells from a gene expression profile typical of
the germinal center to one more similar to that seen in plasma cells.
The germinal centers are thus essential for the protective effect of vaccines.»
The generation of
the germinal centers requires B cells to undergo a complex transcriptional program to allow them to divide rapidly, modify their antibody genes, and pass through a selection procedure that induces either their survival or their death.
Once in contact with Tfh, some B cells become activated, migrate to an area of the follicle called
the germinal center and start dividing rapidly under influence from Tfh.
«Foxo1 is a tumor suppressor gene, but it promotes B cell proliferation in
the germinal center,» he said.
Germinal centers are transient structures in the lymph nodes where antibody - producing B cells proliferate and differentiate at extraordinary rates.
To understand how B cells cycle in
the germinal center, Prof. Tomohiro Kurosaki, who led the project, set his eyes on Foxo1.
Reviving the BATF levels recovered the proliferation of Foxo1 - deficient B cells in
the germinal center.
Even B cells outside
the germinal center will proliferate when Foxo1 is suppressed.
Germinal centers can be visually divided into a dark zone and light zone.