Title
Activated Germinal-Center B Cells Undergo Directed Migration
Abstract
Affinity maturation, the fundamental basis for adaptive immunity, is accomplished through somatic hypermutation of B-cell receptors followed by the expansion of rare mutants with higher affinity for the immunizing antigen. This process occurs over a period of weeks in unique microanatomic sites known as germinal centers. Two-photon microscopy has recently made it possible to track individual B cells moving within germinal centers in living animals. Characterizing the migration patterns of B cells within germinal centers is critical for understanding the mechanisms underlying affinity maturation. Here we present the results of two statistical approaches designed to test the hypothesis that the motion of B cells within germinal centers is random. Analysis of four different experiments shows that activated B cells move in a directed manner that sharply contrasts with the behavior of naive B cells.
Year
DOI
Venue
2009
10.1109/BIBM.2009.61
BIBM
Keywords
Field
DocType
activated germinal-center b cells,b-cell receptor,undergo directed migration,two-photon microscopy,adaptive immunity,naive b cell,individual b cell,affinity maturation,germinal center,higher affinity,activated b cell,b cell,optical microscopy,tracking,statistical analysis,immune system,random walk,imaging,visualization,computational immunology,b cell receptor,two photon microscopy,somatic hypermutation,data mining
Somatic hypermutation,Naive B cell,Antigen,Biology,Affinity maturation,Acquired immune system,Cell biology,Germinal center,Immune system,B-cell receptor
Conference
ISSN
Citations 
PageRank 
2156-1125
2
0.77
References 
Authors
1
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Mark J. O'Connor120.77
Anja E. Hauser231.25
Ann M. Haberman331.25
Steven H Kleinstein49516.45