Transgenic expression of a human polyreactive Ig expressed in chronic lymphocytic leukemia generates memory-type B cells that respond to nonspecific immune activation.

We generated transgenic mice, designated SMI, expressing unmutated H and L chain Ig genes encoding a low-affinity, polyreactive human (h)IgM/kappa rheumatoid factor. These animals were compared with control AB29 transgenic mice expressing a hIgM/kappa rheumatoid factor specific for human IgG, with no detectable reactivity with mouse proteins. SMI B cells expressed significantly lower levels of surface hIgM/kappa than did the B cells of AB29 mice, but still could be induced to proliferate by surface Ig cross-linking in vitro and could be deleted with anti-Id mAb in vivo. Transgene-expressing B cells of AB29 mice had a B-2 phenotype and were located in the primary follicle. In contrast, a relatively high proportion of hIgM-expressing B cells of SMI mice had the phenotype of B-1 B cells in the peritoneum or marginal zone B cells in the spleen, where they were located in the periarteriolar sheath, marginal zone, and interfollicular areas that typically are populated by memory-type B cells. Although the relative proportions of transgene-expressing B cells in both types of transgenic mice declined with aging, SMI mice experienced progressive increases in the serum levels of IgM transgene protein over time. Finally, SMI transgene-expressing B cells, but not AB29 transgene-expressing B cells, were induced to secrete Ab when cultured with alloreactive T cells. These results indicate that expression of polyreactive autoantibodies can allow for development of B cells that are neither deleted nor rendered anergic, but instead have a phenotype of memory-type or Ag-experienced B cells that respond to nonspecific immune activation.