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©2013 UpToDate ® Print Email B cell development in the germinal center One or a few B cell clones colonize the forming germinal center. These clones have been activated elsewhere and are retained via interaction with antigen present in immune complexes (Ag-IC) on the surface of follicular dendritic cells (FDC). They undergo proliferation with class-switching and Ig V gene somatic hypermutation. If mutation destroys antigen-binding, the cell dies because it cannot interact with FDC's in the basal light zone. High-affinity cells migrate to the apical light zone where, depending on particular cellular signals and/or cytokines provided by T cells, they differentiate either into memory cells or plasma cells. It is possible that some cells may also return to the dark zone for further cycles of division and mutation. Reproduced with permission from Bona, C, Bonilla, F. B Cells and Humoral Immunity. In: Textbook of Immunology, second edition, Harwood Academic Publishers 1996. Page 128, figure 5-16. Original source: Liu et al. Germinal centers in T-cell dependant antibody responses. Immunology Today 1992; 13:17-21. figure 2.