Restricted, canonical, stereotyped and convergent immunoglobulin responses

It is becoming evident that B-cell responses to particular epitopes or in particular contexts can be highly convergent at the molecular level. That is, depending on the epitope targeted, persons of diverse genetic backgrounds and immunological histories can use highly similar, stereotyped B-cell rec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences 2015-09, Vol.370 (1676), p.20140238-20140238
Main Authors: Dunand, Carole J. Henry, Wilson, Patrick C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Autoantibodies - genetics
Autoantibodies - immunology
B Cell
B-Lymphocytes - immunology
Epitopes - immunology
Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Immunoglobulin
Immunoglobulins - biosynthesis
Immunoglobulins - genetics
Lentivirus
Leukemia, B-Cell - genetics
Leukemia, B-Cell - immunology
Mice
Models, Genetic
Models, Immunological
Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell - genetics
Retroviridae
Review
Variable Gene
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Summary:It is becoming evident that B-cell responses to particular epitopes or in particular contexts can be highly convergent at the molecular level. That is, depending on the epitope targeted, persons of diverse genetic backgrounds and immunological histories can use highly similar, stereotyped B-cell receptors (BCRs) for a particular response. In some cases, multiple people with immunity to a particular epitope or with a type of B-cell neoplasia will elicit antibodies encoded by essentially identical immunoglobulin gene rearrangements. In other cases, particular VH genes encode antibodies important for immunity against pathogens such as influenza and HIV. It appears that the conserved antibody structures driving these stereotyped responses are highly limited and selected. There are interesting and important convergences in the types of stereotyped BCRs induced in conditions of immunity and B-cell-related pathology such as cancer and autoimmunity. By characterizing and understanding stereotyped B-cell responses, novel approaches to B-cell immunity and in understanding the underlying causes of B-cell pathology may be discovered. In this paper, we will review stereotyped BCR responses in various contexts of B-cell immunity and pathology.
ISSN:0962-8436
1471-2970
DOI:10.1098/rstb.2014.0238