International Mammalian Genome Society

The 15th International Mouse Genome Conference (2001)

Table of Contents * Complex Genetics * Developmental Genetics * Gene Annotation * Gene Discovery * Genome Sequencing * Functional Genomics * Mutagenesis * Presentations * Verne Chapman Memorial Lecture

POSTER 80 - CHARACTERIZATION OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY SCKIN REPERTOIRE AND RNA EXPRESSION PROFILE OF SPLENIC AND PERITONEAL B-1a LYMPHOCYTES IN l2³¹⁵ TRANSGENIC MICE

Karsten Kretschmer
Molecular Immunology, GBF,
German Research Centre for Biotechnology
Mascheroder Weg 1
D-38124 Braunschweig
Germany

Co-Authors: Reinhard Hoffmann
Institution:    Molecular Immunology, GBF German Research Centre for Biotechnology, 2) Max-von-Pettenkofer-Institut, Dept of Bacteriology

Recently a new mouse line – L2 – was established which is transgenic for the l2 immunoglobulin light chain of the plasmacytoma MOPC315.  These mice are characterized by a high and age-independent expression of the transgene, which results in nearly complete abrogation of rearrangment  of endogenous light chain isotypes.  One of the most interesting features of L2 mice is the predominance of a CD5+ B-1 cells in both peritoneal cavity and spleen.  Therefore L2 mice represent a simplified experimental model to study the characteristics and the antibody repertoire of these B-cell subpopulations.  Using transgenic L2 and control mice, we performed a comparative sequence analysis of the DJ rearrangements of splenic and peritoneal B-1a lymphocytes from adult L2 mice and B cells derived from fetal/neonatal liver or in vitro PreB cell cultures.  Our data suggest that strong selective forces act at each particular location shaping the repertoire in an organ specific way.

In order to elucidate the molecular feature that in addition to the above elective forces act on these mature B-1a cell populations we performed mouse gene expression microarray analysis and compared splenic and peritoneal cavity derived B-1a cells with other B cell subpopulations.  These data will help to understand the molecular events that these distinct B-1a cell subsets have to undergo in order to function as an efficient defense bastion against pathogens.