title: Generation of immunoglobulin heavy chain diversity subsequent to cell surface immunoglobulin expression in the avian bursa of Fabricius.
abstract: The avian bursa of Fabricius represents a site for the generation of antibody diversity. Transfer of neonatal bursal cells into cyclophosphamide-treated neonatal chickens results in reconstitution of recipient bursae with donor-derived bursal stem cells. These stem cells express cell surface IgM and, under conditions of limiting donor bursal stem cell numbers, each reconstituted bursal follicle is colonized by a single precursor cell. The expression of an Ig VH idiotype, CVH-1, was found to be heterogenous within such clonal follicles. The diversity generated within the bursa is subsequently found within the peripheral B cell compartment. Thus, the generation of functional Ig H chain diversity is shown to occur subsequent to Ig H chain rearrangement and expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ratcliffe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens; D002999:Clone Cells; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D015326:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000032:analysis; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D003520:Cyclophosphamide