Optimality of mutation and selection in germinal centers.

ABSTRACT: The population dynamics theory of B cells in a typical germinal center could play an important role in revealing how affinity maturation is achieved. However, the existing models encountered some conflicts with experiments. To resolve these conflicts, we present a coarse-grained model to calculate the B cell population development in affinity maturation, which allows a comprehensive analysis of its parameter space to look for optimal values of mutation rate, selection strength, and initial antibody-antigen binding level that maximize the affinity improvement. With these optimized parameters, the model is compatible with the experimental observations such as the approximately 100-fold affinity improvements, the number of mutations, the hypermutation rate, and the "all or none" phenomenon. M

SUBMITTER: Zhang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2880589 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature