title: Selective and polyclonal induction of high levels of lambda light chain-bearing immunoglobulins in BALB/c and SJL mice.
abstract: Polyclonal B cell activation is V gene independent and consequently results in the unselected expression of both V lambda and V kappa genes. In an attempt to selectively and polyclonally trigger lambda light chain-bearing B cells, we immunized mice with low doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) coupled to antibodies specific for the constant region of lambda 1 chains. Analyses of the sera of treated mice revealed that LPS anti-lambda 1 selectively triggers lambda-but not kappa-bearing B cells to high rate Ig secretion. Surprisingly, immunized SJL mice (rlo lambda 1 phenotype) mounted a lambda + response comparable to that detected in mice with the r + lambda 1 phenotype. Because we could definitively establish that the majority of the induced antibodies belong the lambda 1 subtype, our results have strong implications both for the study of the repertoire of lambda 1-bearing B cells and for our understanding of the functional mechanism(s) by which the r lambda 1 locus acts.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions / Q000276:immunology; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000276:immunology; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides