I. The Ontogenetic Expression of Antibody Variable-Region Genes in the Chicken. II. Methods for Fractionation of Plasma Membranes and Membrane Proteins

Author: Huang, Henry Vincent

Year: 1978

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Hood, Leroy E.

Committee Members: Hood, Leroy E.; Dreyer, William J.; Owen, Ray David; Revel, Jean-Paul; Wood, William Barry

Option: Biochemistry

DOI: 10.7907/fvyd-c004

Abstract

Immnunoglobulins and antibodies made by chickens bursectomized in ovo on day 11 of incubation were studied by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. It was found that bursectomized chickens have limited immunoglobulin diversity. Antibodies made by bursectomized responders were also of limited diversity. The L chains showed the greatest range in diversity restriction, followed by μ chains, while γ chains appeared normal. This limited diversity was stable over at least 20 weeks in that the same heavy and light chains were found over this time span. Thus bursectomy blocked the generation of immunoglobulin diversity in chickens.

Individual bursectomized chickens showed a range of extent of diversity restriction, presumably because the development of their bursal cells had been blocked at slightly different stages. Analysis of the particular heavy and light chains of total serum immunoglobulins, serum IgM, and antigen-specific antibodies made by individual bursectomized chickens showed that they were extensively shared. Statistical calculations indicate that if chickens have a normal repertoire of 200-300 genes coding for variable-regions of L chains then it is very unlikely that random gene expression could result in such extensive similarities between bursectomized chickens. The implications of an orderly expression of variable-region genes are discussed.

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