The primary germinal center response in mice.

The germinal center (GC) is an important anatomical site for the development of high affinity antibodies during T-cell dependent B cell responses. Although the importance of the GC response to humoral immunity is well known, much remains to be elucidated about GC induction, maintenance and regulation. Recent studies examining the GC response in mice have identified key molecules expressed on follicular dendritic cells that support the differentiation of GC B cells, revealed essential chemokines that direct the organization of light and dark zones, and demonstrated potentially novel roles for TNF family members in the differentiation of GC B cells.