title: B cell repertoire diversification precedes immunoglobulin receptor expression.
abstract: 68 monoclonal antibodies specific for the hemagglutinin (HA) of the influenza virus, PR8, were obtained from sIg- bone marrow B cell precursors stimulated in splenic fragment cultures. Reactivity pattern (RP) analysis demonstrated that these anti-HA antibody responses included at least 29 distinguishable clonotypes. Comparison of the specificities of anti-HA antibodies obtained from sIg- bone marrow cells with those obtained from adult spleen cells indicates that the anti-HA repertoires of the two populations are comparable in diversity. Since the sIg- bone marrow B cell precursor pool presumably has not encountered V region-specific regulatory mechanisms in vivo, our data suggest that substantial diversification of the B cell repertoire precedes surface immunoglobulin (sIg) expression and subsequent interaction with environmental regulatory processes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; C031540:M-protein, influenza virus; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins