title: Immunoglobulin D-deficient mice can mount normal immune responses to thymus-independent and -dependent antigens.
abstract: To examine the in vivo function of IgD we generated mice deficient for IgD by gene targeting. The IgD-mice show a reduced B-cell compartment with 30-50% less B cells in the spleen and lymph nodes but show a normal pre-B-cell compartment. The surface-IgD- B cells express two to three times more surface IgM than B cells of control animals. Serum concentrations of the immunoglobulin isotypes of IgD- mice are almost normal, indicating that surface-IgD expression is not necessary for class switching of B cells. Immunization experiments showed that IgD- mice could respond well to thymus-dependent and -independent antigens. After immunization normal germinal centers developed in the IgD- mice. These data suggest that IgD is not necessary for the induction of immune responses but may be important in homeostasis of cells in the B-cell compartment.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Immunobiology, Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nitschke
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kosco
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lamers
mesh_terms: D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D007109:Immunity; D007072:Immunoglobulin D / Q000172:deficiency*; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000032:analysis; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000955:Antigens, T-Independent; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007072:Immunoglobulin D; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes