Genome-wide analysis of chromatin accessibility in human tonsillar B cell subsets

We performed ATAC-Seq on three freshly dissociated human tonsils sorted to purity into the following B-cell subsets: CD19+ naïve (IgD+/CD38-), memory (IgD-/CD38-), germinal center light zone (IgD-/CD38mid/CD83+/CXCR4lo), germinal center dark zone (IgD-/CD38mid/CD83lo/CXCR4hi), and plasma cells (IgD-/CD38hi). We used these data to derive differentially accessible sites between B-cell subsets and relative to EBV-immortalized B cell lines (LCLs). These studies revealed similarities between LCLs and both DZ and LZ GC cells at the BCL2A1 (BFL1) locus that formed the impetus for further three-dimensional chromatin studies, which are the focus of the associated manuscript. Overall design: A comparative study of genome-wide chromatin accessibility and locus specific differences in human tonsillar B-cell subsets and EBV-infected LCLs