CXCR5-deficient mice develop functional germinal centers in the splenic T cell zone

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	CXCR5-deficient mice develop functional germinal centers in the splenic T cell zone
Creators Name:	Voigt, I., Camacho, S.A., de Boer, B.A., Lipp, M., Foerster, R. and Berek, C.
Abstract:	The chemokine receptor CXCR5 is thought to be essential for the migration of B cells into the network of follicular dendritic cells in the spleen. However, as shown here, B cells and follicular dendritic cells do co-localize, albeit aberrantly, even in the absence of CXCR5. In mice lacking CXCR5 both cell types are found in a broad ring around the sinuses of the marginal zones. Upon immunization with the T cell-dependent antigen 2-phenyl-oxazolone, ectopic germinal centers develop in the periarteriolar lymphocyte sheath. A network of follicular dendritic cells forms in the vicinity of the central arteriole within which the antigen-activated B cells proliferate. The analysis of the expressed V gene repertoire revealed that during B cell proliferation, hypermutation is activated and V region genes accumulate somatic mutations. The pattern of somatic mutations suggests that affinity selection may occur. This analysis confirms that in CXCR5-deficient mice, the organization of splenic primary follicles is severely impaired. However, within the T cell zone a micro-environment is built up, which provides all requirements needed for the affinity maturation to take place.
Keywords:	Affinity Maturation, B cell Migration, Chemokine Receptor, Ectopic Germinal Centers, Follicular Dendritic Cell, Animals, Mice
Source:	European Journal of Immunology
ISSN:	0014-2980
Publisher:	Wiley
Volume:	30
Number:	2
Page Range:	560-567
Date:	1 February 2000
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1002/1521-4141(200002)30:2<560::AID-IMMU560>3.0.CO;2-T
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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