Expression of a distinct B cell clonotype profile after recovery from antigen‐induced unresponsiveness

摘要

AbstractThe purpose of these experiments was to determine whether the B cell clonotype profile expressed in mice which have recovered from antigen‐induced unresponsive‐ness is similar to that of nontolerized mice. Unresponsiveness to phosphorylcholine (PC) was initiated by injection of neonatal mice with PC‐coupled human gamma globulin, resulting in the inability to respond to challenge with PC‐lipopolysaccharide at 1.5 months of age. By 3 months of age, pretreated mice were 50 responsive while by 5 and 7.5 months of age, full responsiveness was observed. At each time point two differences distinguished the anti‐PC antibody from nonpretreated mice. First, whereas nonpretreated mice displayed T15 dominance, pretreated mice did not. Second, the average avidity of T15‐negative antibody produced in pretreated mice was greater than that in nonpretreated mice and similar to that of T15‐positive antibody. Possible mechanisms for this “permanent” alteration of the antibody prof