Germinal centers: form and function

Our understanding of the formation of germinal centers has advanced considerably during the past year. Highlights include the elucidation of the role of cytokines and chemokines in splenic organization and lymphocyte migration and their roles in germinal center development. The functional consequences of recombination-activating gene re-expression in the germinal center have also been reported, as have in vitro models of somatic mutation. Finally the resolution of the germinal center reaction is being addressed by analysis of the individual cell types produced.