In mammals, B lymphocytes produce antibodies to foreign antigens, such as virus, bacteria and fungus. When the body is exposed to such antigens, B cells respond by becoming activated to high-rate antibody secreting plasma cells. The immune reactions take place in the secondary lymphoid organs, for example lymph nodes and spleen. In these organs, B cells get signals by antigen, T cells and dendritic cells. Activated B cells form so-called germinal centres, consisting of rapidly proliferating cells. In this location, B cells also mutate their V-genes of the immunoglobulin molecules, which results in production of antibodies of higher affinity for the antigen. B cells also switch Immunoglobulin class in the germinal centres. When B cell differentiation is completed they leave the germinal centres and go to other locations to produce antibodies. These complicated processes are far from understood. It is not known what signals B cells to move or to adhere and how the movements are executed. The activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID) control Ig class switching and induction of somatic mutations, but the details of its actions are unknown. My research aims at finding the molecules, which control motility and adhesion in B cells. Also, I am interested in the transcriptional control of Ig class switching and somatic hypermutation. I work in vivo and in vitro with conventional cell- and molecular biology methods. I have recently made a microarray screening in search for genes expressed in B cells and I have just begun to investigate the results.
