Lack of anti-DNA precursors in lambda chain-bearing B lymphocytes in (NZB x NZW)F1 mice. Evidence for the contribution of V kappa genes to anti-DNA specificity.
We have analyzed by the limiting dilution assay on spleen cells from (NZB x NZW)F1 hybrid mice the repertoire of lipopolysaccharide-responsive murine kappa- and lambda 1-secreting B cells committed to the production of anti-DNA autoantibodies to determine the contribution of the heavy and light chains to anti-DNA specificities. Our results demonstrated that anti-DNA precursors were predominantly found in the kappa-secreting B cell population, but not in lambda 1-secreting B cells, while anti-hapten, dinitrophenyl, and anti-tetanus toxoid activities were distributed fairly well in both populations of B cells. This suggests that the V kappa gene segments are critically involved in the generation of anti-DNA specificities, and that at least at the germ-line gene level, the heavy chain V region genes by themselves are not able to confer the anti-DNA autoreactivity.
Lacour
M
M
Department of Pathology, Centre Médical Universitaire, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Izui
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000276:immunology*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000276:immunology*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB / Q000276:immunology*; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid