Jorge Lepre, Jeremy Rice, et al.
Bioinformatics
The germinal center (GC) reaction is crucial for T cell-dependent immune responses and is targeted by B cell lymphomagenesis. Here we analyzed the transcriptional changes that occur in B cells during GC transit (naïve B cells → centroblasts → centrocytes → memory B cells) by gene expression profiling. Naïve B cells, characterized by the expression of cell cycle-inhibitory and anti-apoptotic genes, become centroblasts by inducing an atypical proliferation program lacking c-Myc expression, switching to a proapoptotic program, and down-regulating cytokine, chemokine, and adhesion receptors. The transition from GC to memory cells is characterized by a return to a phenotype similar to that of naïve cells except for an apoptotic program primed for both death and survival and for changes in the expression of cell surface receptors including IL-2 receptor β. These results provide insights into the dynamics of the GC reaction and represent the basis for the analysis of B cell malignancies.
Jorge Lepre, Jeremy Rice, et al.
Bioinformatics
Yuhai Tu, Howard C. Berg
Journal of Molecular Biology
Xuejun Zhu, Guangwei Si, et al.
Physical Review Letters
Yuhai Tu, Herbert Levine
Physical Review E