Subtle differences in antibody responses and hypermutation of λ light chains in mice with a disrupted χ constant region

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Abstract
Analysis of λ light chain use in normal mice is made difficult by the dominant x light chain repertoire. We produced mice rendered deficient in x light chain expression by gene targeting and focused on questions concerned with the generation of λ light chain diversity. Whilst these mice compensate the x deficiency with increased λ titers, and their Ig level is therefore not significantly reduced, they show major differences in immunization titers, germinal center (GC) development and somatic hypermutation. After immunization, using antigens that elicit a restricted IgL response in normal mice, we obtained in the x−/− mice elevated primary antibody titers but a subsequent lack in titer increase after repeated antigen challenge. Analysis of the Peyer's patches (PP) revealed a dramatically reduced cell content with rather small but highly active GC. Flow cytometric analysis showed different cell populations in the PP with enriched peanut agglutinin (PNA)hi/CD45R(B220)+ B cells, implying that the apparent compensation for the lack of x light chain expression involves the GC microenvironment in cell selection, the initiation of hypermutation and high affinity expansion. The three Vλ genes, V1, V2 and Vx, are mutated in the GC B cells, but show no junctional diversity. In contrast, a reduced rate of Vλ hypermutation is found in the hybridoma antibodies, which appears to reflect a selection bias rather than structural constraints. However, mechanisms of somatic mutation and specificity selection can operate with equal efficiency on the few Vλ genes.