Identification of murine germinal center B cell subsets defined by the expression of surface isotypes and differentiation antigens.

Germinal centers (GCs) are inducible lymphoid microenvironments that support the generation of memory B cells, affinity maturation, and isotype switching. Previously, phenotypic transitions following in vivo B cell activation have been exploited to discriminate GC from non-GC B cells in the mouse and to delineate as many as seven distinct human peripheral B cell subsets. To better understand the differentiative processes occurring within murine GCs, we sought to identify subpopulations of GC B cells corresponding to discrete stages of GC B cell ontogeny. We performed multiparameter flow-cytometric analyses of GC B cells at consecutive time points following immunization of BALB/c mice with SRBC. We resolved the murine GC compartment into subsets based on the differential expression of activation markers, surface Ig isotypes, and differentiation Ags. Class-switched and nonswitched GC B cells emerged contemporaneously, and their relative frequencies remained nearly constant throughout the GC reaction, perhaps reflecting the establishment of a steady state. A significant percentage of the nonswitched B cells with a GC phenotype exhibited surface markers associated with naive B cells, including CD23, surface IgD, and high levels of CD38 consistent with either prolonged recruitment into the GC reaction or protracted expression of these markers during differentiation within the GC. Expression of the activation marker BLA-1 was dynamic over time, with all GC B cells being positive early after immunization, followed by progressive loss as the GC reaction matured into the second and third week. Implications of these results concerning GC evolution are discussed.