Fig. 1

AKT2 deficiency leads to decreased number of germinal center (GC) B cells and reduced serum levels of specific antibodies in mice. The follicular (FO), marginal zone (MZ) and germinal center (GC) populations of B cells in spleen were detected by flow cytometry. Spleen cells from 8 week-old wild-type (WT) and AKT2 KO (AKT2-/-) mice (n = 6) were stained with B220, IgD, IgM, CD21, CD23, CD95 and GL7 antibodies (a, b, e). The percentage (c) and cell number (d) of FO B cells (IgD⁺ IgM^low) and MZ B cells (CD21⁺ CD23^low) in AKT2 KO mice were analyzed. GC B cells were marked as CD95⁺GL7⁺, and the percentage (f) and cell number (g) of GCB cells was reduced in AKT2 KO mice. Mean results from ELISA detecting NP-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM)(h) and Immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) (i) from immunized WT and AKT2 KO mice (n = 6). The experiments were performed more than three times independently, and data are presented as mean ± SEM, **p < 0.01