title: Human B cells secrete predominantly lambda L chains in the absence of H chain expression.
abstract: Ig H and L chains are independently assembled in B cells and then secreted together as a functional protein. H chains cannot be secreted without assembly to L chains; however, L chains can be secreted in the absence of H chains by both mice and human cells. To examine the influence of H chain expression on human L chain isotype selection (kappa or lambda), we compared the kappa/lambda ratio of L chains unassociated with H chains (free L chains) to the kappa/lambda ratio of L chains associated with H chains. Culture supernatants of human splenocytes were assayed for kappa and lambda L chains. Free L chains were the predominant form of L chains detected in unstimulated cultures, accounting for 68 to 70% of the total. This was in contrast to the minor proportion that free L chains represented (less than 20%) in cultures stimulated with PWM or LPS (p less than 0.01). Furthermore, the kappa/lambda ratio of light chains detected in unstimulated cultures was 0.5 as compared to 1.3 for PWM stimulated cultures (p = 0.0001). To demonstrate that the decreased kappa/lambda ratio of L chains in the supernatants of cultures of unstimulated B cells was due to free L chains, we measured the kappa/lambda ratio of IgG and IgM-associated L chains. In both the stimulated and unstimulated cultures, the kappa/lambda ratio of L chains associated with H chains was greater than the ratio determined for free L chains. Free L chains were shown to be predominantly lambda as compared to the predominantly kappa phenotype of L chains associated with H chains. Thus absence of H chain expression affects selection of L chain isotypes secreted by human B cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ambrosino
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Kanchana
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Finberg
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains