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HERO ID
7050919
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
T cells and follicular dendritic cells in germinal center B-cell formation and selection
Author(s)
Vinuesa, CG; Linterman, MA; Goodnow, CC; Randall, KL; ,
Year
2010
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Immunological reviews
ISSN:
0105-2896
EISSN:
1600-065X
Publisher
WILEY
Location
HOBOKEN
Page Numbers
72-89
Language
English
PMID
20727030
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-065X.2010.00937.x
Web of Science Id
WOS:000281065300006
Abstract
Germinal centers (GCs) are specialized microenvironments formed after infection where activated B cells can mutate their B-cell receptors to undergo affinity maturation. A stringent process of selection allows high affinity, non-self-reactive B cells to become long-lived memory B cells and plasma cells. While the precise mechanism of selection is still poorly understood, the last decade has advanced our understanding of the role of T cells and follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) in GC B-cell formation and selection. T cells and non-T-cell-derived CD40 ligands on FDCs are essential for T-dependent (TD) and T-independent GC formation, respectively. TD-GC formation requires Bcl-6-expressing T cells capable of signaling through SAP, which promotes formation of stable T:B conjugates. By contrast, differentiation of B blasts along the extrafollicular pathway is less dependent on SAP. T-follicular helper (Tfh) cell-derived CD40L, interleukin-21, and interleukin-4 play important roles in GC B-cell proliferation, survival, and affinity maturation. A role for FDC-derived integrin signals has also emerged: GC B cells capable of forming an immune synapse with FDCs have a survival advantage. This emerges as a powerful mechanism to ensure death of B cells that bind self-reactive antigen, which would not normally be presented on FDCs.
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