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Predominant V‐Region Gene Configurations in the Human Antibody Response to Haemophilus influenzae Capsule Polysaccharide
Author(s) -
PINCHUK G. V.,
NOTTENBURG C.,
MILNER E. C. B.
Publication year - 1995
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.1365-3083.1995.tb03574.x
Subject(s) - gene , antibody , haemophilus influenzae , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , monoclonal antibody , diphtheria toxin , gene family , genetics , gene expression , toxin , bacteria
The antibody response to Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide (Hib PS) is known to be encoded by a few V‐region genes. We have obtained four human monoclonal Hib PS antibodies from four healthy adult subjects immunized with diphtheria toxin‐conjugated Hib PS vaccine. The V H gene segments that encode for these antibodies belong to the V H 3 gene family, of which two are related to the V3‐23 gene and two to the V H 3b subfamily. Both hybridomas that express a V3‐23‐related gene use short D‐segments (3 bp), the J H 6 gene segment and a V k gene derived from the A2 germline gene. The two hybridomas that express V H 3b genes use D‐segments of conventional length (24–33 bp), the J H 4 gene segment and a non‐A2 V k gene. Comparison of our sequences with those reported by others suggests that the above patterns of V‐region gene segment association exemplify two V‐region gene configurations that are predominant in the Hib PS antibody response. The first configuration is reminiscent of antibodies produced by B‐l B cells while the second is more characteristic of antibodies produced by conventional B cells. The possibility that these two configurations, in fact, represent the products of two different B cell lineages remains to be elucidated.