Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 159, 1253-1269, Copyright © 1984 by Rockefeller University Press
The B cell repertoire revealed by major histocompatibility complex- specific helper T cells. I. Frequencies of a genetically defined V region marker among mitogen- and T helper cell-reactive B lymphocytes in normal and immunized mice
D Primi and PA Cazenave
The aim of the present work was to analyze the frequencies of a genetically
defined variable (V) region marker in the B cell subset sensitive to T cell
help. To this end we used an alloreactive T cell line that has the property
of inducing B cells of the appropriate haplotype to exponential growth and
polyclonal antibody synthesis. The frequency obtained with this helper line
was also directly compared to that obtained with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
We found that in normal BALB/c mice the frequency of M460-positive
clonotypes was respectively, 1/100 and 1/1,000 among the T helper- and
LPS-sensitive B cell subsets. In mice immunized with antiidiotype coupled
to a thymus-dependent antigen, the differences in the numbers of
idiotype-positive precursors were even more accentuated, i.e. 1/20 in the B
cell subset triggered by T helper cells and 1/800 in those cells responsive
to LPS. The frequencies of the M460 determinant in mice immunized with
anti- idiotypes coupled to thymus-independent antigens were not
significantly different, in either B cell subset, from those obtained with
spleen cells of normal nonimmunized animals. Taken as a whole, our results
imply that the V gene repertoire revealed by LPS includes precursor
distribution, as this distribution occurs during the early stage of B cell
development (potential repertoire), while the repertoire revealed by T
helper cells includes the V region distribution of those clones that are
selected in the periphery of the functional immune system.
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Facebook 
Reddit 
Technorati 
Twitter What's this?
