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Expression of VH Antibody Genes in Different Background Genomes
Author(s) -
MÄKELÄ O.,
KARJALAINEN K.,
MICKLEM H. S.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1978.tb00430.x
Subject(s) - allotype , gene , biology , genome , antibody , congenic , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , strain (injury) , gene expression , anatomy
We studied whether Ig‐1 linked Mendelian genes controlling antibody specificity usually express themselves independently of genes in other chromosomes (in particular, structural L chain genes = V l genes). A V H gene V H NP b (controsl anti‐NP antibody can be demonstrated in most mouse strains with allotype b but not in Other strains, e.g. BALB/c and CBA. Our data show that BALB/c and CBA background gnomes permit expression of the V H NP b gene. We conclude that it expresses itself in at least five out of six background genomes tested (C57BL, LP, 101, CBA, BALB/c). Strain SJL may either lack the V H NP b gene or have a background genome that does not support its expression. Another V H , gene. VH ABA ‐HOP b , can be demonstrated in both of the two allotype b strains tested, but also in strains of other allotypes but not in CBA mice CBA(Ig‐1 a ). The congenic strain CBA‐Ig‐1 b made anti‐ABA‐HOP antibody of the Ig‐1 b type, again suggesting that V H genes find most background genomes suitable for expression. This is also suggested by the finding that a VH gene of the BALB/c strain (V H NBrP a1 ), which cannot be demonstrated in C57BL mice, expressed itself in a predominantly C57BL background. The two Ig‐1 b strains 101 and CBA‐Ig‐1 b had slightly different fine‐Specificities in their anti‐ABA‐HOP antibodies. The result suggests that in some cases the background genome has a minor, perhaps quantitative, effect on the expression of VH genes, but the basic conclusion remains that Mendelian polymorphisms can easily be demonstrated in the V H genes but not in the V l , genes of the mouse.