The human VH3b gene subfamily is highly polymorphic

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 151; no. 2; pp. 800 - 809
• Main Authors: Adderson, EE, Azmi, FH, Wilson, PM, Shackelford, PG, Carroll, WL
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Am Assoc Immnol 15.07.1993; American Association of Immunologists
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; ANTIBODIES; Antibodies, Bacterial - genetics; BACTERIA; Bacterial Capsules; Bacterial Vaccines - immunology; Base Sequence; BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Biological and medical sciences; BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY; Blotting, Southern; CARBOHYDRATES; CLONING; DNA HYBRIDIZATION; DNA-CLONING; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENES; Genes, Immunoglobulin; Genes. Genome; GENETIC VARIABILITY; HAEMOPHILUS; Haemophilus influenzae; Haemophilus influenzae - immunology; Haemophilus Vaccines; HUMAN POPULATIONS; Humans; HYBRIDIZATION; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains - genetics; Immunoglobulin Variable Region - genetics; lymphocytes B; man; MICROORGANISMS; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; nucleotide sequence; Oligonucleotide Probes; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; Polymorphism, Genetic; POLYSACCHARIDES; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - immunology; POPULATIONS; predictions; SACCHARIDES 550400 > Genetics; variable region; Human; Polymerase chain reaction; Immunogenetics; Immunoglobulins; Gene; Nucleotide sequence; heavy-Peptide chain; Variable region; Immunologic repertoire; Aminoacid sequence; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.151.2.800

We have previously shown that human antibody (Ab) directed against the capsular polysaccharide of the important bacterial pathogen, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is encoded by a small group of VH3 gene family members. The majority of anti-Hib PS Ab use members of the smaller VH3b subfamily. To examine directly the available human VH3 repertoire, we have used PCR to amplify and clone candidate germ-line VH3b H chain V region genes from two unrelated subjects from whom anti-Hib polysaccharide mAb had been previously obtained. A single functional VH3b germ-line gene was obtained from one subject. This gene is identical throughout the coding region to the previously identified gene 9.1. Twelve distinct VH3b germ-line sequences, 87.6-99.8% homologous to one another, were obtained from the second subject. One of these genes, LSG1.1, is also identical to the 9.1 germ-line gene, and a second, LSG6.1, is identical to a previously reported cDNA, M85. These germ-line VH3b genes are 82.7-94.1% homologous to rearranged anti-Hib PS VH3b segments obtained from these subjects. Our findings further demonstrate that considerable polymorphism of VH segments exists in the human population. Despite the presence of very highly homologous VH elements in the germ line, particular genes are highly conserved within the outbred human population.