Neonatal and adult primary B cells use the same germ-line VH and V kappa genes in their (T,G)-A-L-specific repertoire.
Although there is a nonrandom usage of VH gene families by primary B cells early in ontogeny, at issue is whether the preferential rearrangement of 3' germ-line VH genes, e.g., VH7183 and VHQ52 family genes, influences the neonatal B cell repertoire that can be expressed in response to Ag. In order to address this issue, and to determine whether neonatal B cells can use the same germ-line VH and V kappa genes as adult B cells in their primary response, we have analyzed at the molecular level the neonatal antibody response to (T,G)-A-L and compared it with the adult primary response. Among the TGB5 Id+, GT+ antibodies, which dominate the neonatal response to (T,G)-A-L, two VH gene families were used: J558 (high frequency) and 36-60 (low frequency). The majority of Id+ neonatal hybridomas used the same germ-line VH gene (H10, from the VHJ558 family), but with enormous diversity in the D region, and one of two germ-line V kappa 1 genes (V kappa 1A, V kappa 1C). These are the same germ-line V-genes used by most primary adult Id+ hybridomas, and the frequency of expression of this germ-line V-gene combination appears equivalent in the neonatal and adult primary repertoires. Therefore, it is clear from this study that as early as day 5, neonatal B cells can use the same germ-line V-genes as adult primary B cells in their Ag-specific repertoire.
Borriero
L
L
Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254-9110.
Giorgetti
C
C
Smith
G
G
Landry
D
D
Selsing
E
E
Zhukovsky
E
E
Press
J L
JL
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006825:Hybridomas; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000032:analysis; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D010455:Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C021759:(T,G)-A-L