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. 2000 Feb 25;97(6):2743–2748. doi: 10.1073/pnas.050552997

Figure 2.

Figure 2

In-frame κ light chain repertoire is more restricted in mature naive B cells than in immature B cells from three Meg (VH186.2 transgenic × JH−/−) mice. κ light chain joins to Jκ2 from immature (population E, white bars) and mature (population F, black bars) B cell populations were amplified, cloned, and sequenced. Each panel compares the in-frame light chain repertoire of immature and mature splenic B cells from an individual mouse. The horizontal axis is labeled with Vκ families, and chain numbers as assigned by Strohal et al. (15). Chains not identified by Strohal are labeled N1–N9. The vertical axis depicts standardized κ light chain expression frequency as a percentage of total κ chains sequenced. (a) Vκ24/25 family member number 80 (marked with an asterisk) was found to be at a three-fold greater percentage in mature (black bars) than immature (white bars) B cells within the first mouse (E, n = 37; F, n = 42). This Vκ24/25 family member also represents the most common κ light chain in the mature B cell population. (b) In the second mouse, the same Vκ24/25 family member number 80 was found to be enhanced at the E to F transition, representing 12% of total in-frame Vκ chains in the mature B cell population and only 2% in the immature population (E, n = 48; F, n = 59). (c) In a third mouse analyzed, the same Vκ24/25 family member number 80 once again appeared at a much greater frequency in the mature B cell population (12%) than the immature B cell population (2.5%) (E, n = 40; F, n = 50). (d) Tabulation of all Vκ-Jκ2 sequences from the Meg line for immature (E) and mature (F) cells is shown. The horizontal axis is labeled with as above whereas the vertical axis depicts total number of sequences with the immature numbers normalized to be equivalent to the mature numbers (n = 151 for both populations). Vκ24/25 sequence 80 (marked with an asterisk) represents just under 5 sequences of 151 in immature B cells (3.2%) and represents 19 of 151 sequences (12.6%) in mature B cells. This enhancement is highly significant (P < 0.003).