The Journal of Immunology, Vol 144, Issue 2 583-592, Copyright © 1990 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Neonatal and adult primary B cells use the same germ-line VH and V kappa genes in their (T,G)-A-L-specific repertoire

L Borriero, C Giorgetti, G Smith, D Landry, E Selsing, E Zhukovsky and JL Press
Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254-9110.

Although there is a nonrandom usage of VH gene families by primary B cells early in ontogeny, at issue is whether the preferential rearrangement of 3' germ-line VH genes, e.g., VH7183 and VHQ52 family genes, influences the neonatal B cell repertoire that can be expressed in response to Ag. In order to address this issue, and to determine whether neonatal B cells can use the same germ-line VH and V kappa genes as adult B cells in their primary response, we have analyzed at the molecular level the neonatal antibody response to (T,G)-A-L and compared it with the adult primary response. Among the TGB5 Id+, GT+ antibodies, which dominate the neonatal response to (T,G)-A-L, two VH gene families were used: J558 (high frequency) and 36-60 (low frequency). The majority of Id+ neonatal hybridomas used the same germ- line VH gene (H10, from the VHJ558 family), but with enormous diversity in the D region, and one of two germ-line V kappa 1 genes (V kappa 1A, V kappa 1C). These are the same germ-line V-genes used by most primary adult Id+ hybridomas, and the frequency of expression of this germ-line V-gene combination appears equivalent in the neonatal and adult primary repertoires. Therefore, it is clear from this study that as early as day 5, neonatal B cells can use the same germ-line V-genes as adult primary B cells in their Ag-specific repertoire.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. A. Giorgetti and J. L. Press Somatic Mutation in the Neonatal Mouse J. Immunol., December 1, 1998; 161(11): 6093 - 6104. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]