The adaptive immune system has evolved to combat antigenic challenge by producing an impressively diverse antibody repertoire via processes such as V(D)J recombination and subsequent somatic hypermutation (SHM). B-cell maturation originates in the bone marrow via V(D)J recombination, and concludes in the germinal centers of secondary lymphocyte tissues via SHM. It is generally believed that, after immunization, the repertoire of B-cells in germinal centers become polarized towards idiotypes specific for the immunogen; however, there is no quantitative information on the similarity of repertoires in isolated lymphoid tissues post immunization. Therefore, using high throughput sequencing technology, we analyzed and characterized the PC VH repertoires in the bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes,  after immunization with hen egg lysozyme (HEL). We show that, with respect to mice demonstrating a high serum titer against the antigen, all three tissues are comprised of identical high frequency VH genes encoding HEL specific antibodies.

Systems analysis of immunoglobulin repertoires in the lymphoid organs of immunized mice

245th National Meeting (2013)

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