Figure 5.

Late mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signalling supported the post‐germinal centre (GC) humoral response by maintaining the GCB cell population. (a) Experimental set‐up for late GC induction of Rptor deletion. Aicda‐ERT2Cre‐YFP/Rptor ^flox (iR ptor‐KO) or control Aicda‐ERT2Cre‐YFP (CTL) mice were infected with the Armstrong strain lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and subsequently treated daily with tamoxifen via intraperitoneal injection during days 10–15 post‐infection. (b) Flow cytometry of lymphocytes and quantification of YFP ⁺ lymphocyte frequency and number in the spleens of the CTL and iR ptor‐KO mice treated as described in (a). (c) Flow cytometry of YFP ⁺ B220⁺ B cells and quantification of YFP ⁺ B220⁺ CD95⁺ PNA ⁺ GCB cell frequency and number (top); flow cytometry of YFP ⁺ cells and quantification of YFP ⁺ B220^mi/lo CD138⁺ plasma cell frequency and total number (middle), and flow cytometry of YFP ⁺ CD138⁻ IgD⁻ B220⁺ cells and quantification of YFP ⁺ CD138⁻ IgD⁻ B220⁺ CD38⁺ PNA ⁻ memory cell frequency and total number (middle) in the spleens of the CTL and iR ptor‐KO mice treated as described in (a). (d) Flow cytometry of YFP ⁺ CD138⁺ plasma cells and quantification of YFP ⁺ CD138⁺ plasma cell frequency and total number in the bone marrow of the CTL and iR ptor‐KO mice treated as described in (a). *P < 0·05 **P < 0·005 (unpaired two‐tailed t‐test). Data are representative of three independent experiments with three to six mice per group (error bars, SEM). [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]