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. 2018 Sep 17;7:514. Originally published 2018 Apr 27. [Version 2] doi: 10.12688/f1000research.14556.2

Figure 2. The germinal center.

Figure 2.

B-cells enter the dark zone of the germinal center (centroblasts), a step which depends on the expression of CXCR4 in the surface, where the cells go through proliferation and somatic hypermutation (SHM). Subsequently, the cells migrate to the light zone (centrocytes) where they capture antigens through the mutated B cell receptors and are internalized for presentation to the T cells. The centrocytes differentiate from the centroblasts by the level of expression of surface proteins. Centrocytes are CXCR4 low, CD83 high, CD86 high and the centroblasts are CXCR4 high, CD83 low y CD86 low. The fluctuation between centroblasts and centrocytes is part of a synchronized cellular program which permits a temporal separation of the processes of mitosis and SHM from selection. The functional output of the TLO, in comparison to the SLO, could result from the dysregulated nature of their GC response supporting a breakout of autoimmune variants and the development of long lasting humoral autoimmunity characterized by presence of B cells with minimal memory and LLPC 15, 16. FDC: follicular dendritic cells; LLPC: long lasting plasma cells; Tfh: T follicular helper cells.