M. Casamayorpalleja et al., CENTROCYTES RAPIDLY ADOPT A MEMORY B-CELL PHENOTYPE ON COCULTURE WITHAUTOLOGOUS GERMINAL CENTER T-CELL-ENRICHED PREPARATIONS, International immunology, 8(5), 1996, pp. 737-744
B cells, after mutating their Ig V-region genes in germinal centres (G
C), undergo apoptosis, unless they receive antigen-dependent selection
signals, The signals appear to be delivered by GC T cells, require CD
40 ligand expression and may induce differentiation to memory cells, C
ultured GC a cells are prevented from entering apoptosis by ligating t
heir surface CD40, but the resulting phenotype is not that associated
with a cells found in vivo. Conversely, GC a cells rapidly adopt a mem
ory B cell phenotype on culture with autologous memory CD4(+) T cells
that have been induced to express CD40 ligand transiently, This effect
is prevented by blocking CD40 ligand, Naive CD4(+) T cells, induced t
o express CD40 ligand, do not prevent GC B cells undergoing apoptosis.