marginal zone B lymphocyte differentiation, marginal zone B-cell differentiation, marginal zone B-lymphocyte differentiation, marginal zone B cell development
Alternate IDs
None
Definition
The process in which a B cell in the spleen acquires the specialized features of a marginal zone B cell. Marginal zone B cells are localized in a distinct anatomical region of the spleen that represents the major antigen-filtering and scavenging area (by specialized macrophages resident there). It appears that they are preselected to express a BCR repertoire similar to B-1 B cells, biased toward bacterial cell wall constituents and senescent self-components (such as oxidized LDL).
Source:ISBN:0781735149,
GOC:jal
Comment
Note that immunologists typically use the word 'development' to refer to cells of B or T cell lineages undergoing the process that GO describes as 'cell differentiation'.