Biased utilization of DHQ52 and JH4 gene segments in a human Ig transgenic minilocus is independent of antigenic selection.

We have assessed the effect of antigenic selection on human Ig heavy chain D and JH gene segment utilization in mice that contain transgenes composed of 2 VH (psi VH3-105 and VH5-251), 10 D, 6 JH, C mu, and C gamma 1 human gene segments. Human heavy chains using the functional VH5-251 gene segment are expressed in the serum and on the surface of murine B cells. The second VH gene segment (psi VH3-105) is not expressed as a protein but is rearranged and transcribed into mRNA. We previously reported that the functional VH5-251 mu transcripts preferentially used the DHQ52 and JH4 gene segments similar to their use in the human repertoire. Here, we demonstrate that the nonfunctional (psi VH3-105) gene segment shows the same bias in D and JH gene segment utilization. Because transcripts using the pseudo-VH gene segment cannot be subjected to antigenic selection, we conclude that the restricted repertoire observed is Ag independent. Analysis of pseudo VH gene segment recombination products reveals no bias in D gene segment reading frame utilization. Finally, we demonstrate that in the human transgene coding sequence complementarities can affect the recombination site and that D inversion is common.