title: VH-gene family dominance in ageing mice.
abstract: The cellular composition and VH-gene family repertoire were compared in different B-cell compartments from young adult (8-12 weeks) and old (18-24 months) C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Ageing mice were found to have a higher frequency of peripheral mature B cells utilizing genes from a single VH-gene family. While in each individual old C57BL/6 mice cells expressing the VH J558 gene family consistently were over-represented, a marked individual variation was observed in old BALB/c mice with increased frequency of either the VH J558, Q52 or J606 families. Aged mice were found also to have a reduced number of bone-marrow pre-B cells and an augmented number of splenic Ig-secreting cells. These results suggest that old mice express less diversified antibody repertoires possibly as a consequence of reduced input from precursors and increased peripheral selection, which may be responsible for the progressive establishment of immunodeficiency.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Immunobiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Viale
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chies
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huetz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malenchere
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weksler
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D005810:Multigene Family; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region