Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Somatic mutation and memory

C Berek1

  • 1Deutsches RheumaForschungsZentrum, Berlin, Germany.

Current Opinion in Immunology
|April 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The germinal center is vital for memory B cell development and shaping antigen-specific B cell responses. Dysregulated self-specific B cells can become pathogenic antibody producers.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Eosinophils are required to suppress Th2 responses in Peyer's patches during intestinal infection by nematodes.

Mucosal immunology·2016
Same author

Eosinophils: important players in humoral immunity.

Clinical and experimental immunology·2015
Same author

[Plasma cell-eosinophil interaction].

Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie·2013
Same author

The long-term survival of plasma cells.

Scandinavian journal of immunology·2011
Same author

[Do B cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis?].

Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie·2005
Same author

Exposure to environmental antigens induces the development of germinal centers in premature neonates.

Developmental immunology·2003
Same journal

A blind spot of human T cell immunology: epitope specificity in secondary lymphoid organs.

Current opinion in immunology·2026
Same journal

Germinal center responses at barrier organ sites.

Current opinion in immunology·2026
Same journal

Ocular sarcoidosis: from clinical signs to targeted interventions.

Current opinion in immunology·2026
Same journal

On or within: spatial determinants of antigen handling in the nasal turbinates.

Current opinion in immunology·2026
Same journal

Decoding the complexity of intestinal immunity with spatial transcriptomics.

Current opinion in immunology·2026
Same journal

Reconsidering the immunological aspects of solid-phase assays for antiphospholipid antibodies detection.

Current opinion in immunology·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The germinal center (GC) is a specialized microenvironment within secondary lymphoid organs.
  • GCs are critical for adaptive immune responses, particularly B cell maturation and antibody diversification.
  • The regulation of B cell selection within GCs is essential for maintaining self-tolerance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of the germinal center in memory B cell development.
  • To understand how the germinal center microenvironment shapes the antigen-specific B cell repertoire.
  • To investigate the potential pathogenic consequences of self-specific B cells escaping germinal center regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry to analyze GC cellular composition.

Related Experiment Videos

  • B cell receptor sequencing to assess repertoire diversity.
  • In vitro culture systems to study B cell selection and differentiation.

    • Main Results:

    • Germinal centers are essential for the selection and differentiation of high-affinity memory B cells.
    • The GC microenvironment effectively shapes the antigen-specific B cell repertoire through selection processes.
    • Evidence suggests that self-specific B cells, when escaping normal regulatory mechanisms within GCs, can differentiate into pathogenic antibody-producing cells.

    Conclusions:

    • The germinal center is a critical site for generating protective immunological memory.
    • Failure of germinal center regulation can lead to the development of autoimmune diseases mediated by autoantibodies.
    • Targeting germinal center pathways may offer therapeutic strategies for autoimmune disorders.