Clonotype patterns of antibodies released by single lymph nodes.

Abstract

Experimental primary, secondary and tertiary stimulation with streptococcal vaccine of isolated lymph nodes in vivo in the sheep model induces largely persistence of anti-group polysaccharide antibody clonotype patterns with the rare occurrence of additional clonotypes demonstrable after secondary stimulation persisting during the tertiary stimulus. It is not clear whether these additional clonotypes are the products of mutants or whether they pre-existed and were demonstrable only after a secondary stimulus, because of threshold concentrations required for identification. Further, isolated contralateral popliteal and prescapular lymph nodes of individual sheep share completely overlapping clonotype patterns during experimental primary anti-polysaccharide antibody responses indicating an identical repertoire of specific clonotypes under this condition of responsiveness.