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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Immunol Rev. 2018 Jul;284(1):42–50. doi: 10.1111/imr.12661

Figure 4. Models for clonal competition and affinity maturation in GCs.

Figure 4

A, During hapten-specific responses, antigen activates a genetically-restricted population of B cells, which are then recruited to nascent GCs in a manner strictly proportional to their BCR affinities. Subsequent, mostly intraclonal, competition among GC B cells results in increased representation of high-affinity clones at the expense of BCR diversity. B, During humoral responses to complex antigens, antigen activates and drives a genetically diverse pool of B cells to nascent GCs, favoring GC recruitment of higher-affinity B cells. Inside GCs, intra- and interclonal competition select for expansion of higher-affinity clones, but tolerate a wide range of BCR affinities. Late GCs exhibit high BCR diversity and a significant frequency of B cells with undetectable avidity for native antigen. Reprinted from (38) with permission.