title: The T-cell independent antigen, NP-ficoll, primes for a high affinity IgM anti-NP response.
abstract: In a number of different strains of inbred mice, immunization with a hapten coupled to a protein carrier results in production of homogeneous serum antibodies. At the genetic level this corresponds to the use of a very limited set of variable region genes in the actively secreting B-cells. In contrast, immunization with the same hapten coupled to a T-cell independent (TI) carrier produces a heterogeneous antibody response. Here we show that successive immunizations of C57BL/6 mice, first with the hapten NP coupled to ficoll, a TI carrier, and then one month later with a subliminal dose of the same hapten coupled to a protein carrier, generate a novel set of hybridomas. These hybridomas produce antibodies which are of the IgM isotope and which lack somatic mutation. Some of these antibodies have a much higher affinity for NP than do antibodies which use the prototypical gene combination (VH186.2-lamda 1) of the strain specific response in C57BL/6 mice.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Pathology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT 06510.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maizels
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Blier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bothwell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA; D005362:Ficoll / Q000276:immunology*; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000276:immunology*; D010648:Phenylacetates; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000955:Antigens, T-Independent; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D009596:Nitrophenols; D010648:Phenylacetates; D011134:Polysaccharides; C026242:4-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl acetic acid; D005362:Ficoll; D004247:DNA