Distinct VH repertoires in primary and secondary B cell lymphocyte subsets in the preimmune repertoire of A/J mice: the CRI-A idiotype is preferentially associated with the HSAlow B cell subset

Abstract

The anti‐arsonate immune response of A/J mice is characterized by the occurrence of several recurrent idiotypes with a different temporal pattern of expression. The CRI‐A idiotype is typically a memory idiotype since it appears late in the primary and dominates the secondary as well as subsequent immune responses. The CRI‐C idiotype is present throughout the responses, including the primary one. Naive adult A/J mice treated repeatedly with anti‐μ or anti‐δ monoclonal antibodies exhibit a completely different balance of HSAlow and HSAhigh B cell subsets and an opposite idiotype profile after immunization with p‐azophenylarsonate coupled to hemocyanin. Anti‐μ treatment leads to a striking enhancement of the HSAlow cell subset associated with an earlier important synthesis of CRI‐A+ antibodies, while anti‐δ treatment enhances significantly the HSAhigh compartment with a strong decrease of CRI‐A and persistence of CRI‐C1 antibodies. Semiquantitative PCR analysis reveals that the presence of CRI‐A transcripts is associated with the HSAlow compartment, while CRI‐C transcripts are mainly associated with HSAhigh B cell subsets. This has been demonstrated with spleen cells of adult A/J mice treated with anti‐μ or anti‐δ antibodies and also with purified B cell subsets of unimmunized adult A/J mice and on neonatal spleen cells. It appears that the memory (CRI‐A) idiotype is selected into the HSAlow B cell subset before antigen arrival.

Marginal zone B cell enrichment and strong follicular B cell reduction correlate with a delayed IgG response in a light chain diversity restricted mouse model

“…Interestingly, A/J mice anti‐phenylarsonate cross‐reactive idiotype A found at the end of the primary response and dominating the secondary response is preferentially associated with HSA low ‐IgD high ‐IgM low B cells belonging to FO B cells. Another B cell subset HSA high ‐IgD – ‐IgM high with a MZ B cell like phenotype is preferentially associated with the cross reactive idiotype C found during the early primary response and persisting throughout the successive responses in low amounts 12, 30. As shown in Fig.…”