title: Functional diversity of natural IgM.
abstract: This paper proposes a method for the quantitative characterization of repertoire diversity of an unknown mixture of antibodies on the basis of its reactivity profile in the quantitative immunoblot (QIB). The QIB is calibrated by measuring the reactivity profiles of supernatants of known 'diversity' (i.e. known numbers of B cell clones). We define a quantitative 'index of variability' (IV) which decreases regularly as the diversity increases and the profiles tend towards a common 'convergence profile'. The calibration procedure is consolidated by a mathematical model based on the Poisson distribution; this theoretical model accounts correctly for the observed convergence behavior. On the basis of this calibration curve, it is possible to estimate the diversity of an unknown antibody mixture from a measure of its IV. We conclude that the functional diversity of natural serum IgM in mice can be estimated at approximately 16,000 clones.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Immunobiologie, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France. cbrissac@pasteur.fr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brissac
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nobrega
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018448:Models, Immunological; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides