Biased expression of variable region gene families of the immunoglobulin heavy chain in autoimmune-prone mice.
We have examined usage of variable region gene families of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (VH gene family) in spleens of MRL/MpJ-1pr/lpr (MRL/lpr), (NZB x NZW)F1, and BXSB mice by Northern analysis using various VH probes, including the VHPAR gene which we cloned and identified as a gene encoding the heavy-chain variable region of antipoly(ADP-ribose) antibody. The amount of VHS107 family mRNA was almost constant for the same amount of splenic crude RNA in autoimmune-prone and normal mice, while concentrations of other family mRNAs were elevated in autoimmune-prone mice. For example, per splenic RNA the VHPAR family was expressed in MRL/lpr mice 10 times more than in their normal counterpart, MRL/MpJ-+/+ (MRL/+) mice. These results indicate the bias of VH gene usage in autoimmune-prone mice. Expression of the VHS107 family was depressed from an early life stage of MRL/lpr and male BXSB mice. Furthermore, the expression of IL-4 and IL-5 were quantitatively compared, as B cell differentiation factor was thought to be produced by abnormally proliferative T cells in lymph nodes of MRL/lpr mice. We could not, however, observe overproduction of IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA in the lymph nodes.
Yaoita
Y
Y
Department of Medical Chemistry, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine.
Takahashi
M
M
Azuma
C
C
Kanai
Y
Y
Honjo
T
T
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D012313:RNA