title: A set of closely related antibodies dominates the primary antibody response to the antigenic site CB of the A/PR/8/34 influenza virus hemagglutinin.
abstract: Approximately 50% of the primary antibody response of BALB/c mice to the A/PR/8/34 influenza virus hemagglutinin is directed to the Cb site, one of the four major antigenic regions of the molecule. To determine the structural basis of the anti-Cb site response, we have examined the paratypic and genetic diversity exhibited by a panel of 24 primary and 4 secondary response mAb specific for this antigenic region. Reactivity pattern analysis demonstrated 20 distinct fine specificities among these antibodies, and V region gene sequence analysis showed that they are encoded by 17 different VH gene segments from 6 VH gene families and 14 different VK gene segments from 6 VK gene groups. Despite this overall diversity, many of the antibodies can be placed in a limited number of sets based on the shared expression of VH and/or VK genes. One set contains antibodies encoded by a single gene of the VK4/5 group in combination with one of two closely related genes from the J558 VH family. This set accounts for half of the Cb site-specific primary response hybridomas, indicating that the representation of the various anti-Cb site B cell specificities during the primary response to A/PR/8/34 influenza virus is not uniform. The preferential participation of B cells expressing this VH/VK combination is largely responsible for the dominance of anti-Cb site antibodies in the primary anti-hemagglutinin response.
authors.affiliation: Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kavaler
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Caton
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Staudt
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerhard
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009154:Mutation; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains