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. 2021 Nov 23;11(12):1282. doi: 10.3390/life11121282

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Roles of the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis in secondary lymphoid organs. CXCL13, secreted by follicular helper T cells (Tfh), follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), and marginal reticular cells (MRC), recruits peripheral CXCR5+ B cells into the B cell zone or germinal center (GC) through high endothelial venules (HEVs). In the B cell zone, CXCL13 enhances follicle development and sustains secondary lymphoid organ homeostasis by a positive-feedback loop with B cells and FDC [26]. CXCR5+ Tfh migrate into B cell zones, initiating GC formation and B cell receptor (BCR) affinity maturation and promoting the differentiation of B cells into antibody-producing plasma cells and memory cells [40,41,42].