Preferential expression of variable region heavy chain gene segments by predominant 2,4-dinitrophenyl-specific BALB/c neonatal antibody clonotypes.

The B-cell repertoire in neonatal mice contains predominant clonotypes that are reproducibly expressed at particular times after birth. We have isolated and sequenced heavy and light chain cDNA clones from three 2,4-dinitrophenyl-specific neonatal hybridomas. Two of these hybridomas (TF2-36 and TF5-139) express idiotypes (Ids) that predominate during the first days after birth, and the third hybridoma (TF2-76) expresses an Id that predominates during the second week after birth. The heavy (H) chain variable (V) region of the TF2-76 hybridoma protein is encoded by a member of the 7183 VH family, one of eight families of murine VH genes that have been defined by Brodeur and Riblet [Brodeur, P. H. & Riblet, R. (1984) Eur. J. Immunol. 14, 922-930]. Members of this family have been found to undergo a disproportionately high frequency of rearrangement in fetal and neonatal liver pre-B-cells. Because the 7183 VH family is located close to the H chain joining (J) region gene segments, JH, other workers have proposed that VH rearrangement frequency is related to distance from the JH segments. However, the two earlier-appearing predominant clonotypes expressed by TF2-36 and TF5-139 hybridoma proteins utilize a member of the 36-60 VH family, probably VH 1210.7, which is located distal to the JH gene segments on chromosome 12. Since 20-30% of day 3 dinitrophenyl-specific B cells express either the Id(TF2-36) or the Id(TF5-139), the VH 1210.7 gene must be utilized at high frequency early in development. These results indicate that the utilization of rearranged VH segments is strongly influenced by factors other than distance from JH.