title: Repertoire comparison of the B-cell receptor-encoding loci in humans and rhesus macaques by next-generation sequencing.
abstract: Rhesus macaques (RMs) are a widely used model system for the study of vaccines, infectious diseases and microbial pathogenesis. Their value as a model lies in their close evolutionary relationship to humans, which, in theory, allows them to serve as a close approximation of the human immune system. However, despite their prominence as a human surrogate model system, many aspects of the RM immune system remain ill characterized. In particular, B cell-mediated immunity in macaques has not been sufficiently characterized, and the B-cell receptor-encoding loci have not been thoroughly annotated. To address these gaps, we analyzed the circulating heavy- and light-chain repertoires in humans and RMs by next-generation sequencing. By comparing V gene segment usage, J-segment usage and CDR3 lengths between the two species, we identified several important similarities and differences. These differences were especially notable in the IgM(+) B-cell repertoire. However, the class-switched, antigen-educated B-cell populations converged on a set of similar characteristics, implying similarities in how each species responds to antigen. Our study provides the first comprehensive overview of the circulating repertoires of the heavy- and light-chain sequences in RMs, and provides insight into how they may perform as a model system for B cell-mediated immunity in humans.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Disease Research (formerly Seattle BioMed) , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4195-4858
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vigdorovich
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Disease Research (formerly Seattle BioMed) , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Brian G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Disease Research (formerly Seattle BioMed) , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carbonetti
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Disease Research (formerly Seattle BioMed) , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dambrauskas
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Disease Research (formerly Seattle BioMed) , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Miles D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Viral and Infectious Disease Division , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yacoob
authors.affiliation: Mazama Science , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Will
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Leahy
authors.affiliation: Mazama Science , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Callahan
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Viral and Infectious Disease Division , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Leonidas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stamatatos
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Disease Research (formerly Seattle BioMed) , Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: D Noah
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Sather