title: Ig VH gene family repertoire of plasma cells derived from lupus-prone MRL/lpr and MRL/++ mice.
abstract: VH gene family usage was determined in both spontaneous, in vivo activated plasma cells and LPS-induced plasma cells from individual MRL/lpr mice by using in situ hybridization. It was found that VH gene family expression in spontaneous plasma cells varied from mouse to mouse. Some mice expressed VH families in an apparently random manner similar to that obtained with polyclonal activation. Other mice showed an exaggerated expression of particular VH gene families. VH J558 was overrepresented most frequently, but overrepresentation of VH 7183, Q52, and 36-60 was also observed. Importantly, LPS-induced VH gene family expression in these same mice displaying biased VH family usage in spontaneous plasma cells, appeared normal with no evidence for similar biases in the LPS-induced repertoire. Anti-DNA antibody concentrations and the degree of glomerulonephritis were determined for each mouse to measure the severity of disease. The level of expression of the J558 family was positively correlated with disease severity. The results suggest that the initial autoantibody response is highly diverse but becomes more restricted as the disease progresses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio 78284.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Komisar
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Crawley
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Talal
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Teale
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D005810:Multigene Family; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region