RNAseq of germinal center B cells from Blimp-1-GFP reporter mice

RNAseq of germinal center B cells with different Blimp-1-GFP reporter level. Sorted germinal center populations were defined by their expression of Blimp-1-GFP reporter and the cell surface marker CD138 before they were further split into dark zone or light zone / dark zone like or light zone like cells based on their expression of the surface marker CXCR4 and CD83. We used RNAseq to find genes differentially regulated in various Blimp-1-GFP expressing germinal center populations from the spleen at day 10 after intraperitoneal immunisation with sheep red blood cells. Germinal center B cells (B220+IgDlowCD95+GL7+) from spleens of sheep red blood cell immunised mice with different Blimp-1-GFP expression levels were sorted. In addition naïve B cells (B220+IgD+) and plasma cells (B220intCD138+Blimp-1-GFPhigh) were sorted as a reference. 100 cells per sample and population were sorted in five biological replicates except for naive cells of which three biological replicates were sorted.