title: Probing the human antibody repertoire to exogenous antigens. Characterization of the H and L chain V region gene segments from anti-hepatitis B virus antibodies.
abstract: Structural studies of human antibody V regions have been largely limited to those involving the fetal repertoire, autoantibodies, and malignant cell rearrangements, leaving the "normal" repertoire relatively unexplored. In this study we describe the nucleotide sequences of the H and L chain V regions of four antibodies specific for the surface Ag of the hepatitis B virus. Monoclonal cell lines were derived from healthy individuals who received standard immunizations with the serum-derived or recombinant hepatitis B virus vaccines by fusion of PBL to a heterohybridoma cell line, SPAZ-4. We utilized the polymerase chain reaction to amplify the H and L chain V regions for cloning and sequencing. The four antibodies express the following V region combinations: VHIII/V lambda V, VHIII/V kappa II, VHIV/V kappa I, VHV/V lambda III. When compared to germline genes with the closest sequence homology, all of the V regions appear to have undergone somatic mutation, ranging from 3.4 to 11.3% for the H chain, and 5.1 to 9.2% for the L chain. Analysis of the mutations shows them to be typical for an Ag-driven immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Andris
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ostberg
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Capra
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000235:genetics*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes