VH gene usage in humans: biased usage of the VH6 gene in immature B lymphoid cells.
Preferential usage of JH-proximal VH genes has been demonstrated in immature murine B cell repertoires. To determine whether this phenomenon is also evident in human repertoires, we studied utilization of VH6, the most JH-proximal human VH gene. Examination of VH gene usage in a panel of precursor B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia samples indicated that 15% of the IgH rearrangements utilized VH6. VH6 is a single-member family in a total repertoire of 100-200 VH genes; thus, if usage were purely random, one would expect VH6 rearrangement frequency to be less than 1%. Analysis of VH gene usage in normal lymphoid tissues also revealed biased usage of VH6. VH6 was preferentially utilized in 16- to 24-week-old fetal liver as compared to adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells or spleen. Possible implications of the conservation of preferential usage of JH-proximal genes in both immature murine and human repertoires are discussed.
Berman
J E
JE
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
Nickerson
K G
KG
Pollock
R R
RR
Barth
J E
JE
Schuurman
R K
RK
Knowles
D M
DM
Chess
L
L
Alt
F W
FW
D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region