Within the B-cell follicle of secondary lymphoid organs, germinal center (GC) reactions
produce high affinity antibody-secreting plasma cells (PCs) and memory B-cells necessary …

Highlights•GCs can support B cells with a range of affinities for the inducing antigen.•GC
selection involves a LZ bottleneck and differential expansion in the DZ.•Transition between …

Defining where and in what form lymphocytes encounter antigen is fundamental to
understanding how immune responses occur. Although knowledge of the recognition of …

The generation of robust T-cell-dependent humoral immune responses requires the
formation and expansion of germinal center structures within the follicular regions of the …

During antibody affinity maturation, germinal center (GC) B cells cycle between affinity-
driven selection in the light zone (LZ) and proliferation and somatic hypermutation in the …

Germinal centers (GCs) are essential structures of the humoral immune response, which
form in the periphery in response to T cell dependent antigens. During the GC reaction, B …

During immune responses, B lymphocytes clonally expand and undergo secondary
diversification of their immunoglobulin genes in germinal centres (GCs),,,. High-affinity B …

The germinal center (GC) reaction is the basis of T-dependent humoral immunity against
foreign pathogens and the ultimate expression of the adaptive immune response. GCs …

Highlights•Only high-affinity GC B cells undergo PC differentiation.•PC differentiation
initiates in the light zone via antigen contact.•Maturing PCs requires T-cell help and egress …

During affinity maturation, germinal center (GC) B cells alternate between proliferation and
somatic hypermutation in the dark zone (DZ) and affinity-dependent selection in the light …