Abstracts (complete list) - Wissenschaft Online

Michael Meyer-Hermann, Marc Thilo Figge
Interpreting two-photon lymphocyte motility data of the
germinal centre: Predictions and analysis by mathematical
models
The germinal centre reaction is central to adaptive immunity. Recent progress in
intravital imaging has provided the first movies of cell trafficking in secondary lymphoid
follicles [1]. The results of these measurements confirm predictions from our
mathematical models [2]. In particular, it was predicted and now measured that B
lymphocytes do not actively move between the zones. However, this result is not
possible to be deduced from multi-photon measurements alone. It is essential that the
data are interpreted with mathematical methods.
We show how mathematical modelling of germinal centre reactions is useful to
interprete multi-photon intravital imaging data in two steps: At first the models that led
to the prediction of the undirected motility of lymphocytes are presented. It is shown
that no directed motility is needed in order to get a fully functional germinal centre
reaction. In a second step it is shown which results would be expected in multi-photon
imaging when either undirected motility or directed movement between the zones is
assumed. This clearly shows that the recent imaging results do not exhibit any link to
active movement between the zones.
[1] Allen CD, Okada T, Tang HL, Cyster JG, Science 26 (2007) 528;
Schwickert et al., Nature 446 (2007) 83;
Hauser et al., Immunity 2007 in press.
[2] Meyer-Hermann M, J. Theor. Biol. 216 (2002) 273;
Meyer-Hermann M, Maini PK 174 (2005) 2489;
Meyer-Hermann M, Figge MT 2007 in preparation.