title: Ontogeny of B and T cells in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L.).
abstract: Monoclonal antibodies specific to sea bass Ig heavy (WDI 1) and light (WDI 3) chains and T cells (DLT15) were used in an ontogenetic study of sea bass by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. The influence of weight and age, as well as season, on B cell development was studied in the fastest and slowest growing offspring from the same spawn (5-305 days post hatch: dph). Additionally, B and T cell development was followed in samples of different offspring (5-137 dph). The results suggest that DLT15 recognises very early (pre-?) T cells as well as mature T cells and that these very early T cells might have their origin in a different compartment and subsequently mature in the thymus. They also appeared much earlier in ontogeny (between 5-12 dph onwards) than pre-B cells having cytoplasmic Ig (from 52 dph onwards). With the monoclonal antibodies used, adult levels of T and B cells were both reached between 137-145 dph, suggesting that sea bass is immunologically mature from at least that age onwards. As in other teleosts, the thymus appears to be the primary organ for T lymphocytes and head kidney the primary organ for B lymphocytes. For sea bass, age seems to be more important in determining B cell maturation than body weight.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular--Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rombout
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D001492:Bass / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology; D001835:Body Weight; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000662:veterinary; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal