Upcoming Event
On Possible Indicators of Negative Selection in Germinal Centers
- October 08, 2024
- 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- Carson Family Auditorium (CRC)
Event Details
- Type
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology Seminars
- Speaker(s)
-
Bertrand Ottino-Loffler, Ph.D., fellow in physics and biology, The Rockefeller University
- Speaker bio(s)
-
A central feature of vertebrate immune response is affinity maturation, wherein antibody-producing B cells undergo evolutionary selection in microanatomical structures called germinal centers, which form in secondary lymphoid organs upon antigen exposure. While it has been shown that the median B cell affinity dependably increases over the course of maturation, the exact logic behind this evolution remains vague. Three potential selection methods include encouraging the reproduction of high affinity cells (``birth/positive selection''), encouraging cell death in low affinity cells (``death/negative selection''), and adjusting the mutation rate based on cell affinity (``mutational selection''). While all three forms of selection would lead to a net increase in affinity, different selection methods may lead to distinct statistical dynamics. We present a tractable model of selection and analyze proposed signatures of negative selection. Given the simplicity of the model, such signatures should be stronger here than in real systems. However, we find a number of intuitively appealing metrics -- such as preferential ancestry ratios, terminal node counts, and mutation count skewness -- require nuance to properly interpret.
- Open to
- Public
- Contact
- Melanie Lee
- Phone
- (212) 327-8636
- Sponsor
-
Melanie Lee
(212) 327-8636
leem@rockefeller.edu