@article{344f3624713c405cb9c3931fb928f694,
title = "Low CD21 expression defines a population of recent germinal center graduates primed for plasma cell differentiation",
abstract = "In this study, we report that antigen-specific CD19+CD27+CD21lo (CD21lo) B cells are transiently induced 14 to 28 days after immunization, at the time germinal centers (GCs) peak. Although clonally related to memory B cells and plasmablasts, CD21lo cells form distinct clades within phylogenetic trees based on accumulated variable gene mutations, supporting exit from active GCs. CD21lo cells express a transcriptional program, suggesting that they are primed for plasma cell differentiation and are refractory to GC differentiation, although they do not spontaneously secrete antibody. In addition, CD21lo cells differentially express multiple cell surface markers and have elevated intracellular levels of Blimp-1 and T-bet protein compared with memory B cells. Together, these data support a model in which CD21lo cells are recent GC graduates that represent a distinct population from CD27+ classical memory cells, are refractory to GC reentry, and are predisposed to differentiate into long-lived plasma cells.",
author = "Denise Lau and Lan, {Linda Yu Ling} and Andrews, {Sarah F.} and Carole Henry and Rojas, {Karla Thatcher} and Neu, {Karlynn E.} and Min Huang and Yunping Huang and Brandon DeKosky and Palm, {Anna Karin E.} and Ippolito, {Gregory C.} and George Georgiou and Wilson, {Patrick C.}",
note = "Funding Information: We thank all study participants and laboratory members W. Taylor, X. Qu, and S. Lim for their contributions to this work. We would also like to thank S. Cobey and M. Viera for their feedback on our repertoire analysis and the Mascola laboratory for sharing their modified HA plasmids. This project was funded, in part, with federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Department of Health and Human Services, under Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance contract no. HHSN272201400006C (to P.C.W.); NIH grants U19AI109946 (to P.C.W.), P01AI097092 (to P.C.W.), and U19AI057266 (to P.C.W.); and NIH U19AI05766-11 (to P.C.W.). Publisher Copyright: 2017 {\textcopyright} The Authors,",
year = "2017",
doi = "10.1126/sciimmunol.aai8153",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "2",
journal = "Science Immunology",
issn = "2470-9468",
publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",
number = "7",
}