Most peripheral B cells in mice are ligand selected.
Using amplified cDNA and genomic libraries, we have analyzed the VH gene repertoire of pre-B cells and various B cell subsets of conventional mice at the level of VH genes belonging to the J558 VH gene family. The sequence data were evaluated on the basis of a newly established list of 67 J558 VH genes that comprise approximately two-thirds of the J558 VH genes of the murine IgHb haplotype. The results of the analysis demonstrate that VH gene utilization in pre-B cells, although biased to some extent by B cell autonomous VH gene selection, scatters over the whole range of J558 VH genes present in the germline. In contrast, in mature, peripheral B cells comprising long-lived mu + delta high B cells as well as Ly-1 B cells, small overlapping sets of germline VH genes are dominantly expressed. The data indicate that the recruitment of newly generated B cells into the long-lived peripheral B cell pool is mediated through positive selection by internal and/or external antigens. Because of the absence of immunoglobulin class switching and somatic hypermutation, this process is different from the selection of memory B cells in T cell-dependent immune responses.
Gu
H
H
Institut für Genetik, Universität zu Köln, Federal Republic of Germany.
Tarlinton
D
D
Müller
W
W
Rajewsky
K
K
Förster
I
I
D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015723:Gene Library; D015326:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D015698:Genomic Library; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D008024:Ligands; D004247:DNA