Once inside a germinal center, B cells undergo rapid mutations and, through a process of natural selection, only B cells with antibodies that most effectively bind to their target antigens survive.

Germinal center (GC) dark and light zones segregate cells undergoing somatic hypermutation and antigen-driven selection, respectively, yet the factors guiding this organization are unknown. We ...

Germinal centers are made up of two distinct regions – the light zone and dark zone, with some cells located in specific areas, and others which move between the zones.