Genetics, cellular expression and function of IgD and IgM receptors

Fisetin targets phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and induces apoptosis of human B lymphoma Raji cells

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Fisetin inhibits PI3K activity at the enzymatic and cellular levels.

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Fisetin induces the apoptosis of Raji cells by downregulating cIAP-2 protein expression.

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The pro-apoptotic activity of fisetin may be linked to a potential to inhibit mTOR signaling and to induce DNA damage.

Aberrant regulation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3Ks) is known to be involved in the progression of cancers. PI3K-binding flavonoids such as quercetin and myricetin have been shown to inhibit PI3K activity, but the direct targeting of fisetin to PI3K has not been established. Here, we carried out an in silico investigation of fisetin binding to PI3K and determined fisetin’s inhibitory activity in enzymatic and cell-based assays. In addition, fisetin induced apoptosis in human Burkitt’s lymphoma Raji cells by inhibiting both PI3Ks and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Our results indicate that fisetin may serve as a natural backbone for the development of novel dual inhibitors of PI3Ks and mTOR for the treatment of cancer.

The cellular mechanism by which complementary Id+ and anti-Id antibodies communicate: T cells integrated into idiotypic regulation

The V region antigenic determinants (idiotopes (Ids)) of antibodies (Abs) have been suggested to be involved in regulating the immune system. Certain diseases such as diabetes mellitus have recently been associated with a disequilibrium between Id(+) and anti-Id Abs. However, it is unknown how Abs carrying complementary idiotypes (that is, Id(+) and anti-Id Abs) regulate each other at the level of B and T cells. In this study, we show that B lymphoma cells genetically equipped with anti-Id BCR V regions receive a signal when exposed to Id(+)Ig. Moreover, they become x 10(4) more efficient at presenting exogenous Id(+) Ab to CD4(+) T cells in vitro. Activated Id-specific T cells in turn regulated the Id-specific B lymphoma cells. Similar results were obtained in vivo in a surrogate model in which an Id-peptide was incorporated genetically into the C-region of a recombinant Ab that targeted IgD on B cells. The findings suggest that conventional T-B collaboration can explain communication between complementary Id(+) and anti-Id Ab at the cellular level. A model is suggested that integrates present and previous data on B-cell regulation by Id-specific T cells.

Donor resting B cells induce indefinite prolongation of fully allogeneic cardiac grafts when delivered with anti-immunoglobulin-D monoclonal antibody: evidence for tolerogenicity of donor resting B cells in vivo

BACKGROUND

Resting B (rB) cells have been shown to induce T-cell anergy in vitro and to prolong the survival of skin and cardiac grafts mismatched for minor histocompatibility antigens. However, rB cells were unable to modulate the rejection response when grafts mismatched for major histocompatibility complex antigens were transplanted. We reasoned that donor antigens, which presented via the indirect pathway by recipient antigen-presenting cells, in particular B cells, might influence the ability of rB cells to induce unresponsiveness. To explore this hypothesis, we used an anti-immunoglobulin (Ig)-D monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for recipient B cells to deplete these cells, thereby decreasing the potential for indirect presentation in vivo.

METHODS

CBA mice were pretreated with 1 x 10(7) donor rB or activated B (aB) cells 7 days before transplantation of a C57BL/10 cardiac graft in the absence or presence of anti-IgD mAb.

RESULTS

Naive CBA mice rejected C57BL/10 grafts acutely (median survival time [MST]=8 days). Pretreatment with rB cells alone resulted in a modest prolongation of graft survival (MST=11.5 days). In marked contrast, when rB cells were delivered with anti-IgD mAb, indefinite graft prolongation (MST>100 days) was observed in all recipients. Interestingly, aB cells produced only a small prolongation of graft survival when delivered with anti-IgD mAb (MST=15 days). Recipients treated with anti-IgD mAb alone rejected C57BL/10 cardiac allografts acutely (MST=8 days).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that depletion of recipient B cells in vivo can augment the ability of donor rB cells to induce indefinite prolongation of fully allogeneic cardiac grafts. Thus, IgD+ B cells in the recipient may influence the development of unresponsiveness in vivo.

The two membrane isoforms of human IgE assemble into functionally distinct B cell antigen receptors

The human C epsilon gene expresses two membrane IgE heavy chain mRNAs which differ in the sequence that encodes their extracellular membrane-proximal domain. In the long IgE isoform (mLIgE), this domain contains a stretch of 52 amino acids which are absent in the short variant (mSIgE). We have now generated B cell transfectoma cell lines that express these two isoforms and show that both types of mIgE form functional B cell antigen receptors (BCR). Both receptors associate with the Ig-alpha/Ig-beta heterodimer, as well as with protein kinases that are capable of phosphorylating this complex. Upon their cross-linking, both receptors can activate protein tyrosine kinases that phosphorylate the same substrate proteins. Both IgE receptors also associate with two novel proteins that do not bind to mIgM. Apart from these similarities, the two IgE-BCRs show several differences of which some are analogous to the differences between the IgM- and IgD-BCRs. First, the mSIgE is transported to the cell surface at a higher rate than the mLIgE. Second, the two IgE-BCRs associate with differently glycosylated Ig-alpha proteins, the mLIgE associates with the completely glycosylated form, whereas the mSIgE associates with an Ig-alpha glycoform that is partially sensitive to endoglycosidase H. Third, the kinetics of protein tyrosine phosphorylation induced by receptor cross-linking is significantly different for the two IgE-BCRs. Finally, cross-linking of the mSIgE-BCR leads to growth inhibition of the B cell transfectoma, whereas signaling through the mLIgE-BCR does not affect the cellular proliferation. These data show that the two human membrane IgE isoforms assemble into functionally distinct antigen receptors which can induce different cellular responses.

Immunoglobulin D (IgD)-deficient mice reveal an auxiliary receptor function for IgD in antigen-mediated recruitment of B cells

To assess the role of immunoglobulin D (IgD) in vivo we generated IgD-deficient mice by gene targeting and studied B cell development and function in the absence of IgD expression. In the mutant animals, conventional and CD5-positive (B1) B cells are present in normal numbers, and the expression of the surface markers CD22 and CD23 in the compartment of conventional B cells indicates acquisition of a mature phenotype. As in wild-type animals, most of the peripheral B cells are resting cells. The IgD-deficient mice respond well to T cell-independent and -dependent antigens. However, in heterozygous mutant animals, B cells expressing the wild type IgH locus are overrepresented in the peripheral B cell pool, and T cell-dependent IgG1 responses are further dominated by B cells expressing the wild-type allele. Similarly, in homozygous mutant (IgD-deficient) animals, affinity maturation is delayed in the early primary response compared to control animals, although the mutants are capable of generating high affinity B cell memory. Thus, rather than being involved in major regulatory processes as had been suggested, IgD seems to function as an antigen receptor optimized for efficient recruitment of B cells into antigen-driven responses. The IgD-mediated acceleration of affinity maturation in the early phase of the T cell-dependent primary response may confer to the animal a critical advantage in the defense against pathogens.

Molecular components of the B-cell antigen receptor complex of the IgM class

The antigen receptors on mature B lymphocytes are membrane-bound immunoglobulins of the IgM and IgD classes whose cross-linking by polyvalent antigens results in B-cell proliferation and differentiation. How these membrane-bound immunoglobulin chains, which lack a cytoplasmic tail, generate a cell activation signal is not at present known. We now show that the IgM molecule is non-covalently associated in the membrane of B cells with two proteins of relative molecular mass 34,000 (Mr 34 K; IgM-alpha) and 39 K (Ig-beta) which form a disulphide-linked heterodimer. Surface expression of IgM seems to require the formation of an appropriate complex between IgM and the heterodimer. A transfection experiment indicates that IgM-alpha is the product of mb-1, a B-cell specific gene encoding a transmembrane protein with sequence homology to proteins of the T-cell antigen receptor-CD3 complex.

Comparison of the clonal diversity of the B cell repertoires in adult mice that differ in the expression of cell surface IgD

To determine whether the expression of surface IgD (sIgD) influences the extent of the expressed B cell repertoire, the clonal diversity of the B cell population in mice treated chronically with anti-IgD (delta) antibodies has been compared with the B cell repertoire observed in control animals, using the splenic focus limiting dilution B cell assay. The results show that the phosphorylcholine (PC)-specific B cell precursor frequency in anti-delta antibody-treated mice is increased when compared with that of control mice. Isotype and idiotype (T15) analyses of PC clonal products from anti-delta antibody-treated and control mice revealed no distributional differences. Analyses of the 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP)- and fluoresein isothiocyanate-specific B cell repertoires confirmed that the equal or increased precursor frequencies observed in anti-delta antibody-treated mice are not specific for the PC antigen. The increased precursor frequency of B cells from anti-delta antibody-treated mice was not the result of increased homing of B cells from anti-delta antibody-treated mice to recipient spleens, since B cells from control mice homed twice as well to recipient spleens as did B cells from anti-delta antibody-treated mice. Other studies demonstrated that (a) on average, antibody-secreting clones were generated more slowly when B cells from anti-delta antibody-treated mice were used as a source of precursors than B cells of control mice and (b) both sIg- spleen cells and sIg+ spleen cells from anti-delta antibody-treated mice generated a higher frequency of specific antibody-secreting clones than did the corresponding populations from control mice. These observations suggest that a population of sIgM+sIgD- B cells exists that resembles sIgD+ B cells rather than neonatal or xid B cells in its ability to generate responses to PC and suggests that the sIgM+sIgD- B cells from anti-delta antibody-treated mice are more responsive than are sIgM+IgD+ B cells, regardless of antigenic specificity, to the stimuli provided in the splenic focus system. Finally, this study suggests that the expression of sIgD does not influence the extent of the expressed B cell repertoire.

Assessment of antigen-specific receptor function of surface immunoglobulin M and D with identical hapten specificity

Monoclonal B-cell lines expressing antigen-specific surface IgM or IgD were established by transferring the genes encoding immunoglobulin heavy (mu or delta) and light (kappa) chains specific for the hapten 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP) into a B-cell lymphoma line. Two IgMTNP and two IgDTNP transformants were selected on the basis of similar levels of anti-TNP idiotype expression by flow microfluorimetric analysis. The IgMTNP and IgDTNP transformants were compared in quantitative assays for their ability to bind TNP-carrier and present TNP-carrier to carrier-specific T cells. Our results indicate that IgMTNP and IgDTNP transformants have an equal capacity to bind and present specific antigen. Thus surface IgM and IgD, when present in equivalent amounts, function similarly as antigen receptors.

Activation of mouse lymphocytes by anti-immunoglobulin. IV. Stimulation with soluble heterologous anti-delta antibodies

Mouse spleen cells were stimulated to proliferate in vitro by soluble affinity-purified heterologous antibodies to mouse delta. Antibodies from goat or rabbit antisera to TEPC 1017, a mouse IgD myeloma protein, were purified on an affinity column of TEPC 1033, a second mouse IgD myeloma protein. Maximum uptake of [3H]thymidine in the range of 60,000 cpm was obtained after 48 hr of culture with anti-delta at concentrations of 50 micrograms/ml. In contrast, the hybridoma 10-4.22 anti-delta was nonmitogenic at similar concentrations. The proliferative response was not impaired upon removal of T cells by treatment with an anti-thymocyte serum (ATS), nor by removal of adherent cells by passage of spleen cells over Sephadex G-10 columns and counter-flow centrifugation. Splenic lymphocytes isolated on the fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) with intermediate-to-high amounts of surface IgD (sIgD) were responsive to soluble anti-delta, while IgD-negative cells, or cells with low amounts of sIgD, were unresponsive. Spleen cells from mice less than 4 weeks of age, or from mice carrying the X-linked B cell defect (xid), were unresponsive to anti-delta. These results indicate that anti-delta acts similarly to anti-mu in stimulating a proliferative response by later maturing B cells, which are characterized by a high density of sIgD.

The molecular biology of immunoglobulin D

Immunoglobulin D (IgD) is co-expressed with immunoglobulin M (IgM) on the membranes of most B cells, yet its biological function has remained a mystery. Recent detailed information on the structure and transcription of the unusual IgD heavy chain (delta) gene in mouse suggests a complex genetic control. A model is presented for the developmental regulation of IgM and IgD and roles suggested for the membrane and secreted forms of IgD in the immune network.

Analysis of normal and neoplastic lymphocyte surface-labeled proteins by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Normal and neoplastic murine and human lymphocytes were surface-labeled by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed radioiodination, and the cell lysates were subjected to two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) analyses, combining isoelectric focusing in the first dimension and sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE (SDS-PAGE) in the second dimension. 2D-PAGE autoradiogram patterns were reproducible and reflected differences in cell types. A string of spots with a Mr of 100K was tentatively identified as a new T-cell marker (Tp100) which was present in all murine and human T cells examined including human T lymphomas. Murine and human B cells displayed markers characteristic to B cells of each species with some similarities between them. Human lymphomas and murine cell lines showed markers which were absent or only weakly visible in normal cells. Thus, 2D-PAGE analysis of lymphocyte surface proteins proved to be a method useful for searching for various markers.

The predominant surface glycoproteins of thymocytes and lymphocytes

The surfaces of thymocytes and T and B lymphocytes differ markedly in their predominant glycoprotein constituents. Amino acid sequence studies show that a surprising number of the cell surface molecules have homologies with immunoglobulins. Analysis of carbohydrate shows major differences between glycoproteins on the same cell and between the same (or closely related) glycoproteins on the different cell types.

Simultaneous expression of immunoglobulin mu and delta heavy chains by a cloned B-cell lymphoma: a single copy of the VH gene is shared by two adjacent CH genes

The cloned murine B-cell lymphoma line (BCL1) that expresses surface IgM and IgD is considered to be a model for the immunoglobulin gene expression of the mature virgin B cell. Of particular interest is the mechanism by which a single VH gene is shared by two CH genes. We examined the organization of the immunoglobulin heavy chain genes in BCL1 DNA. A single arrangement of CH genes was found with the expressed VHDJH gene complex just 5' to the Cmu gene. The complete DNA sequence of the VH gene was determined. No rearrangement occurred in the intervening DNA between the JH and C mu genes or between the C mu and C delta genes. We conclude that dual expression of mu and delta heavy chains using a single VH gene is accomplished by alternate processing of a primary transcript that encompasses the the VHDJH complex and both CH genes.

mRNA for surface immunoglobulin gamma chains encodes a highly conserved transmembrane sequence and a 28-residue intracellular domain

To probe the structure of the gamma heavy chain of membrane IgG and the mRNA and gene segments that encode it, we have analyzed cDNA clones derived from a gamma 1 membrane RNA of B lymphoma 2PK-3. The nucleotide sequence of the clones indicated that membrane gamma 1 chains bear a COOH-terminal 71-residue segment that is absent from secretory gamma 1 chains. This terminus includes a 26-residue hydrophobic transmembrane region homologous to that of membrane mu chains and, significantly, a 28-residue intracellular domain found only on gamma chains. The extra domain suggests that receptor IgG, on memory B cells, may generate a different signal on binding antigen than does receptor IgM, on virgin B cells. The gamma 1 membrane terminus is encoded by two gene segments 1.5 and 2.4 kilobase pairs downstream from the C gamma 1 gene, and homologous segments occur 3' to the C gamma 2a and C gamma 3 genes. Small amounts of membrane gamma mRNAs persist in plasmacytomas secreting IgG1, IgG2a, or IgG2b, suggesting that competition between alternative RNA processing pathways governs the synthesis of membrane and secretory gamma chain mRNAs.

Fluorescence activated cell sorter analysis of murine B cell development

Three subpopulations of surface immunoglobulin positive B cells were defined using monoclonal antibodies directed against IgM and IgD antigenic determinants and 2-color fluorescence activated cell sorter analysis: cells with a high density of sIgM and lacking sIgD (M++D-); cells with slightly less sIgM and dully positive for sIgD (M++D+), and cells with a low density of sIgM but brightly staining with anti-IgD (M+D+). In the spleen of two-week-old animals the M++D- cells are the more numerous. Their frequency declines during development in favor of the adult M+D+ cells. Because the densities of sIgM and sIgD on M+D+ cells are positively correlated it is hypothesized that immature M++D- cells first lose their sIgM and then reaquire sIgM together with sIgD.

Isotypes of surface immunoglobulin on B lymphocytes from patients with immune deficiency

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with antibody deficiency diseases (primarily agammaglobulinemia) were examined for the presence of B-lymphocyte subsets defined by surface immonoglobulin isotypes. The patients could be classified into one of four groups based upon the presence or absence of particular isotype-defined subsets. Patients with type I agammaglobulinemia lacked cells bearing surface IgG as well as IgD-Igm+-bearing cells. Type II agammaglobulinemia had unusually large numbers of IgG-bearing cells, representing as many as 50% of the peripheral blood B lymphocytes, while other B-cell subsets were present in normal numbers. Type III agammaglobulinemia had apparently normal numbers of all B-cell subsets. Hyper IgM immunodeficiency lacked cells bearing surface IgG, but did have all three iGd/IgM-bearing B-cell subsets. This classification of patients based upon B-cell subsets present in peripheral blood directly correlates with previous functional studies of B cells from these patients. We suggest that abnormal in vitro function of cells from these patients results from abnormal populations of B cells in peripheral blood, which result from the underlying disease.

Rabbit antisera with specificity for isolated mouse T-lymphocyte receptors

Rabbit antibodies obtained after immunization of mouse immunoglobulin (MIg)-tolerant rabbits with B6 anti-CBA IgG and having specificity for B6 anti-CBA IgG and T-cell receptors (antiserum 5936) were used to isolate 5936-reactive molecules from B6 anti-CBA mixed lymphocyte culture supernatants. Such 5936-reactive molecules were produced by the B6 T cells, and they did not react with rabbit anti-MIg antisera. They had a mol. wt of 50,000-75,000, and were single-chain polypeptides that did not react with concanavalin A (Con A)--Sepharose. These molecules were in turn injected into rabbits, and the antisera thus obtained had the following characteristics: (1) they reacted against B6 anti-CBA T-cell receptor material but not against B6 anti-CBA IgG; (2) they reacted with about 35% of B6 (H-2b, Ig-1b) anti-CBA T cells, 25% of B6 Con A blasts and 0-10% of normal B6 T cells but not with B6 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) blasts, C3H.B10 (H-2b, Ig-1j) anti-CBA or CBA anti-B6 T cells, CBA Con A blasts or normal CBA T cells; and (3) they reacted with the same 50,000-75,000 mol. wt, T-cell-derived molecules as did antiserum 5936. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the nature of T-cell receptors.

Mouse immunoglobulin D: construction and characterization of a cloned delta chain cDNA

TEPC 1017 is a BALB/c plasmacytoma that synthesizes IgD in large enough amounts to permit the isolation of mRNA for mouse delta chains. cDNA has been prepared from this mRNA, and an 880-base-pair fragment of it has been cloned by recombinant DNA techniques. The hybridization selection technique has been used to show that this cDNA clone specifically binds only mRNA that can be translated into immunoprecipitable delta chains. the sequence of a portion of this clone has been determined and, when translated, shows homology with the C delta 3 of a human myeloma protein. Using this cDNA clone as a probe, we have found that several different-sized delta RNAs are present in TEPC 1017 and in another IgD-secreting plasmacytoma, TEPC 1033.

Expression of the immunoglobulin C mu gene in mouse T and B lymphoid and myeloid cell lines

We have used cloned nucleotide sequences as probes to search for immunoglobulin RNA in T and B lymphoid and nonlymphoid tumor cell lines. Polyadenylated RNA from the cells was fractionated electrophoretically by size and fixed to diazobenzyloxymethyl-paper, and then immunoglobulin RNA species were revealed by hybridization with 32P-labeled cloned sequences for mu heavy chain and kappa light chain. kappa mRNA was detected only in B lymphoid lines known to synthesize kappa chains. No mu RNA was detectable in erythroleukemia, mastocytoma, or sarcoma cells. RNA bearing mu constant region (C mu) sequences, however, was detected in four of nine T lymphoma and four of five myeloid tumor cell lines tested, as well as in B lymphoma and "pre-B" Abelson lymphoma cells. In contrast to the single mu RNA species of 2.6 kilobases (kb) in a plasmacytoma, individual T lymphoma and myeloid lines yielded up to three discrete mu RNA species of apparent size 1.9, 2.2, and 3.0 kb, each different from the two mu RNA species in a B lymphoma line (2.4 and 2.7 kb) or the single species in "pre-B" lymphoma cells (2.9 kb). Both chromosomal complements of the C mu gene in STRij-4 T cells were found to be rearranged from their embryonic (germ line) context. The results suggest that the C mu gene functions not only in T cells, wherein the ability to recognize antigen is long established, but also in myeloid cells.

Presence of multiple isotypes on the surface of human tonsillar lymphocytes

Formaldehyde-fixed small lymphocytes from human tonsils were investigated for the presence of the Ig heavy chain class isotypes alpha, gamma, delta and mu on their membranes by means of a direct immunofluorescence technique. About 50% of the small lymphocytes were defined as B cells with an anti-Fab antiserum. Most of the B lymphocytes carried more than one isotype on their membrane, and all combinations of two isotypes were observed. The existence of three or four isotypes on the membrane of individual lymphocytes was deduced. The sIgD, sIgM and sIgA, sIgD, sIgM combinations were the most common. The isotypes were present as separate molecules since they showed independent distribution patients undeesent as separate molecules since they showed independent distribution patterns under capping conditions.

Deletions are associated with somatic rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes

The organization of mouse immunoglobulin heavy chain genes has been investigated by hybridization with cloned mu and alpha cDNA probes. Restriction endonuclease fragments bearing mu and alpha constant region genes and two types of variable region (VH) genes were compared in BALB/c embryos, liver and nine plasmacytomas synthesizing IgM, IgA, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3. Embryo DNA was found to contain a single copy of the C mu gene per haploid genome. In contrast, one VH probe (HPC 76) detected at least six related VH genes, while the other (S107) detected a separate set of at least four genes, indicating that the germline contains distinct sets of multiple related VH genes. Most VH genes within the two subsets remained in germline context in different plasmacytomas, providing no evidence for somatic reassortment of VH genes. One plasmacytoma was devoid of specific VH genes, including some related to the expressed VH sequence. This may mean that the translocation event creating an active heavy chain gene involves deletion of the DNA between the expressed VH and CH sequences. The context of C mu sequences in DNA from a plasmacytoma secreting IgM differed from that in embryo DNA, as did C alpha sequences in two IgA- and several IgG-secreting plasmacytomas. Unlike heavy chain expression, rearrangement was not confined to one allele and often took different forms within a single cell line, presumably varying on different homologous chromosomes. Each rearrangement, whether resulting in an active C gene or not, appeared to change sequences upstream but not downstream from the CH gene. Significantly, the eight IgG and IgA plasmacytomas examined had undergone deletions of at least half and often all C mu sequences while retaining the embryo level of C alpha sequences. Hence a deletion mechanism may be responsible for the switch in expression from one CH gene to another which occurs during differentiation of a lymphocyte clone.

Intervening sequences divide the gene for the constant region of mouse immunoglobulin mu chains into segments, each encoding a domain

To elucidate the structure of the gene for the constant region of immunoglobulin mu chains, we have cloned a 9.9-kilobase-pair fragment of mouse DNA bearing a gene for the constant region of the mu chain (C mu gene) from an IgM-secreting mouse plasmacytoma. The sequence around this gene has apparently undergone somatic rearrangement; the gene occurs in an EcoRI restriction endonuclease fragment of a different size from that in embryo or liver DNA and no C mu-bearing fragment of embryo size remains in the plasmacytoma. The cloned sequence lacks a variable region gene; hence, if this C mu gene is active, its position within the clone indicates that the gene for the variable region of a heavy chain (VH gene) must be more than 3.7 kilobase pairs away. The C mu gene is divided by three intervening sequences into four coding segments, each of which encodes one of the domains (homology units) of the polypeptide. The nucleotide sequence coding for amino acids near the V-C junction is not present within the C mu clone or clones bearing homologous embryonic VH genes. This suggests that an immunoglobulin heavy chain, in common with light chains, is encoded not only by a V and C gene, but also by an independent joining region (JH) gene.

The anti-delta suppressed mouse

The ontogeny of IgD was examined in neonatal to adult mice by immunofluorescence. The first delta-positive cells appeared in the spleen at about 3 days of age, while lymph nodes from 4 to 5-day-old mice already contained 10--20% delta-positive B cells. In order to study the function of IgD, we developed a system in which the appearance of delta-positive cells was suppressed by treatment of mice from birth with an anti-delta allotype serum. Immunofluorescence studies showed that very few delta-positive cells could be found in the spleen and lymph nodes of such suppressed mice, and also that the percentage of mu-positive cells was reduced by about 50%. The recovery from suppression was rapid, indicating that potential delta-positive cells were modulated rather than killed. Studies of the immune response of suppressed mice in vitro and in vivo showed that suppression had little effect on the IgM response but caused a definite reduction in the IgG response.

Surface immunoglobulin phenotype of murine spleen cells which form B cell colonies in agar

Separation of IgD-bearing B lymphocytes from the spleens of 3-week-old or adult mice has been achieved using cellular affinity columns and an anti-delta allotype serum. The results demonstrate that the majority of cells capable of forming B lymphocyte colonies in agar are delta-positive although they lose detectable IgD upon stimulation. It is proposed that these cells are the descendants of IgD-negative cells found in the fetal liver and neonatal spleen.

Allotypes of IgM and IgD receptors in the mouse: a probe for lymphocyte differentiation

Antibodies to IgD and IgM are present in many mouse alloantisera made against lymphocytes. Antibodies to IgM are also present in a small minority of conventional antiallotype sera made against pertussis/anti-pertussis complexes. These antibodies reflect different allelic forms of IgD and IgM in different mouse strains, and allowed the mapping of the delta- and mu-chain genes (Ig-5 and Ig-6, respectively) to the heavy-chain complex. The variable portions of IgM and IgD receptors on individual cells bearing both chains are similar or identical. Both receptors show allelic exclusion and come from the same chromosome on individual cells (haplotype exclusion). It is suggested that very early in B lymphocyte differentiation there is a commitment to a given chromosome, and translocation of one copy of a given variable region gene to each heavy-chain gene. Subsequent switches of immunoglobulin class then involve differential gene activation. Immature B cells possess IgM receptors only and mature into cells bearing both IgM and IgD receptors. After activation with antigen, IgD is probably lost. These findings are discussed within the framework of the clonal abortion theory of B-lymphocyte tolerance.