title: B cell repertoire in adult antigen-free and conventional neonatal BALB/c mice. II. Analysis of antigen-binding capacities in relation to VH gene usage.
abstract: Hybridomas were derived from lipopolysaccharide-reactive splenic B cells of adult germ-free BALB/c mice fed a chemically defined ultrafiltered "antigen-free" diet (GF-CD) and from splenic B cells of 5-day-old conventional (CV-NEO) BALB/c mice. The monoclonal antibodies (mAb) from both collections of hybridomas were tested for reactivity against a large panel of antigens of exogenous and endogenous origin. As a source of natural exogenous antigens 36 different bacteria and 9 different viruses were used, while as endogenous antigens frozen tissue sections of stomach, liver and kidney, the Hep-2 cell line and the anti-idiotopic mAb Ac38 and Ac146 were used. In both collections of mAb approximately 70% reacted with one or more bacterial antigens, while no reactivity could be detected against the viral antigens. Of the GF-CD and CV-NEO hybridomas, 16% and 19%, respectively, reacted with one or more frozen tissue sections. Overall 56% and 68% of the GF-CD and CV-NEO hybridomas, respectively, were producing multireactive antibodies reactive to several exogenous and/or endogenous antigens. Among the GF-CD hybridomas a correlation was found between multireactivity and the usage of the VH gene family PC7183. In CV-NEO hybridomas, however, the preferential utilization of the VH gene family PC7183 was found among both mono- and multireactive hybridomas. The results suggest (a) that the actual B cell repertoire of neonatal mice consists of a large proportion of multireactive B cells which are reactive with autoantigens and bacterial antigens, but not viral antigens and (b) that in antigen-deprived mice the neonatal repertoire is largely preserved during maturation of the mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Meeuwsen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Wijngaarden
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial