Tolerance through indifference: autoreactive B cells to the nuclear antigen La show no evidence of tolerance in a transgenic model (original) (raw)

Failed self-tolerance and autoimmunity in IgG anti-DNA transgenic mice

The Journal of Immunology

Transgenic mice were generated that express both the H and L chain genes derived from a hybridoma secreting an IgG2a mAb specific for ds- and ssDNA. This hybridoma is derived from a lupus mouse and can accelerate nephritis in young NZB x NZW F1 female mice and induce clinical nephritis in BALB/c mice. Some transgenic B cells did not exhibit allelic exclusion; they expressed both transgene-derived IgG and endogenous IgM intracellularly. Most of the B cells in transgenic mice expressed endogenous IgM, some of them expressed low levels of IgG on cell membranes. The transgenic mice, created in a strain not prone to SLE, expressed elevated serum IgG anti-DNA, and some developed clinical nephritis. The affinity of the spontaneously secreted IgG antibodies for dsDNA were similar in nephritic NZB x NZW F1 and transgenic mice. In contrast to the nontransgenic littermates, immunization of transgenic mice with murine DNA further enhanced serum levels of IgG anti-DNA in transgenic mice. Therefo...

The Journal of Immunology Tolerance to DNA in (NZB � NZW)F 1 Mice That Inherit an

2003

Lupus-prone (NZB � NZW)F 1 (BWF 1) mice were made transgenic (Tg) for an anti-DNA Ab inherited either as a conventional V H3H9- � H chain Tg (3H9-�) with or without a conventional V �8- � Tg, or a V H3H9 V H knock-in Tg allele (3H9R) with or without aV �4V � knock-in Tg allele (V �4R). V H3H9 yields an anti-DNA Ab with most L chains including an anti-ssDNA with the V �8Tg and an anti-dsDNA with the V �4 Tg. BWF 1 mice that inherited the conventional 3H9- � had normal serum IgM, little to none of which was encoded by 3H9-�, and only a small percentage of those mice had serum anti-DNA, none of which was transgene encoded. B cells expressing the conventional 3H9- � Tg were anergic. BWF 1 mice that inherited the knock-in 3H9R Tg allele also had normal serum IgM, one-half of which was encoded by 3H9R, and produced anti-DNA encoded by the Tg allele. Most B cells expressing the knock-in 3H9R Tg also had an anergic phenotype. The results indicate that autoimmune-prone BWF 1 mice initially d...

T Cell Tolerance to Germline-Encoded Antibody Sequences in a Lupus-Prone Mouse

The Journal of Immunology, 2005

The BCR V region has been implicated as a potential avenue of T cell help for autoreactive B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus. In principle, either germline-encoded or somatically generated sequences could function as targets of such help. Preceding studies have indicated that class II MHC-restricted T cells in normal mice attain a state tolerance to germline-encoded Ab diversity. In this study, we tested whether this tolerance is intact in systemic lupus erythematosus-prone (New Zealand Black ؋ SWR)F 1 mice (SNF 1 ). Using a hybridoma sampling approach, we found that SNF 1 T cells were tolerant to germline-encoded Ab sequences. Specifically, they were tolerant to germline-encoded sequences derived from a lupus anti-chromatin Ab that arose spontaneously in this strain. This was true both for diseased and prediseased mice. Thus, there does not appear to be a global defect in T cell tolerance to Ab V regions in this autoimmune-prone strain either before or during autoimmune disease. The Journal of Immunology, 2005, 175: 2184 -2190.

An intrinsic B cell defect is required for the production of autoantibodies in the lpr model of murine systemic autoimmunity

Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1991

Mice homozygous for the gene lpr develop marked lymphadenopathy and a spectrum of autoantibodies closely resembling that of human systemic lupus erythematosus. The unusual T cell phenotype of the expanded lymphocyte population and the T-dependence of several antibodies in this strain have suggested that primary T cell abnormalities underlie the autoimmune syndrome. Using double chimeras, we now show that expression of the lpr gene in B cells is absolutely necessary for autoantibody production. Combinations of antiThy 1 .2 + C' treated bone marrow from congenic strains of C57BL/6 mice, differing only at the immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) and lpr loci, were transferred into lethally irradiated B6/lpr mice . Double chimerism was documented by allotype-specific surface IgD and IgM immunofluorescence assay of peripheral blood and by allotype-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for total IgM in serum. Despite the presence of both +/+ and lpr B cells, IgM and IgG2a anti-chromatin as well as IgM anti-IgG were entirely the products of lpr B cells. Total serum IgG2a and IgG1 were also dominated by the 1pr phenotype but not to the same extent. A similar experiment using B6/lpr-Igh' recipients confirmed these findings . Additional experiments in which B6/lpr recipients were infused with ratios of donor bone marrow favoring B6 .C20 +/+ over B6/lpr showed that even though +/+ B cells were overrepresented, autoantibodies were only of the lpr allotype . In addition, in the presence of lpr B cells, normal B cells showed little response to an exogenous, T cell-dependent antigen. The data thus indicate that 1pr B cells manifest an intrinsic abnormality which is essential for autoantibody production in the lpr model.