Figure 7. SOCE in CD4+ T cells controls the germinal center (GC) reaction and humoral immunity.
SOCE regulates the expression of IRF4 and BATF that initiate the differentiation of murine CD4+ T cells into T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and their migration into GCs by upregulating CXCR5 expression. NFAT, together with Bcl-6, controls the induction of PD-1, ICOS and CD40L as well as the production of the B cell-stimulating cytokines IL-4 and IL-21 by Tfh cells, which collectively help GC B cells to undergo class-switch recombination and affinity maturation of their antigen receptors and to differentiate into memory B cells and plasma cells [42].