title: Compartmentalization of lambda subtype expression in the B cell repertoire of mice with a disrupted or normal C kappa gene segment.
abstract: The establishment of the B cell repertoire depends on two major parameters. The first is determined by mechanistic processes that give rise to a great diversity of B cell receptors from a combination of multiple gene segments. The second is dominated by selective processes that recruit B cell clones via their immunoglobulin receptors. To assess the impact of these parameters on the composition of B cell repertoire, we constructed a mouse model displaying a B cell repertoire limited in its diversity. To this end, we disrupted the C kappa segment by gene targeting. B cells from such mutant mice do not express the kappa light chain. Their light chain repertoire is therefore limited by the expression of only four main lambda light chains: lambda 1, lambda 2(V2), lambda 2(Vx) and lambda 3. In this study we described the proportions of each lambda subtype in various lymphoid compartments. Our results show that the lambda 1 subtype is dominant in the spleen and the bone marrow. Moreover, lambda 1 prevalence is independent of the wild or mutant C kappa genotype. These results suggest that the mechanistic processes are mainly responsible for the bias in lambda subtype expression. On the other hand, the lambda 2(V2) and/or lambda 3 subtypes are expressed at higher levels in the peritoneal cavity. Their prevalence is again observed regardless of the C kappa genotype and seems to be due to B1 cells. These results suggest that different mechanistic processes could control lambda subtype expression in B1 and B2 cell lineages.
authors.affiliation: Département d'Immunologie, Institut Pasteur, UA CNRS 359, Paris, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Drapier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen-Tannoudji
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Colucci
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Babinet
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cazenave
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015328:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Light Chain; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains