The LY-1 gene expression in murine hybridomas producing autoantibodies.
Studies presented here demonstrate the expression of the Ly-1 gene and the detection of the Ly-1 cytodifferentiation antigen in murine hybridomas producing autoantibodies. We examined the transcription of the Ly-1 gene in thymocytes and 140 hybridomas producing autoantibodies of various specificities which were obtained from normal and autoimmune disease prone mouse strains. As previously demonstrated thymocytes stain brightly for Ly-1 by immunofluorescence and express Ly-1 transcripts. In our panel of hybridomas producing autoantibodies Ly-1 transcripts were detected in 31 (45%) out of 69 NZB hybridomas and 7 (88%) out of 8 viable motheaten hybridomas. S1 nuclease protection experiments showed that Ly-1 transcripts detected in thymocytes and B cells are the product of the same gene. The B cell transcripts are functional since immunofluorescence and Western data presented here detected the Ly-1 protein in hybridomas cells which were found to transcribe the Ly-1 gene. Interestingly a polymorphic transcription of the Ly-1 gene was observed in B cells and B cell hybridomas as compared to thymocytes. Our results obtained in the hybridoma system firmly establish a major contribution of the Ly-1 B cell subset to the production of DNA specific autoantibodies and a smaller contribution to the production of rheumatoid factors and "natural", multispecific autoantibodies.
Mayer
R
R
Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029.
Zaghouani
H
H
Usuba
O
O
Bona
C
C
D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000276:immunology*
D000950:Antigens, Ly; D001323:Autoantibodies