Intestinal bacteria are required for development of gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT), which mediate a variety of host immune functions, such as mucosal immunity and oral tolerance. In rabbits, the intestinal microflora are also required for developing the preimmune Ab repertoire by promoting somatic diversification of Ig genes in B cells that have migrated to GALT. We studied the mechanism of bacteria-induced GALT development. Bacteria were introduced into rabbits in which the appendix had been rendered germfree by microsurgery (we refer to these rabbits as germfree-appendix rabbits). We then identified specific members of the intestinal flora that promote GALT development. The combination of Bacteroides fragilis and Bacillus subtilis consistently promoted GALT development and led to development of the preimmune Ab repertoire, as shown by an increase in somatic diversification of VDJ-Cμ genes in appendix B cells. Neither species alone consistently induced GALT development, nor did Clostridium subterminale, Escherichia coli, or Staphylococcus epidermidis. B. fragilis, which by itself is immunogenic, did not promote GALT development; hence, GALT development in rabbits does not appear to be the result of an Ag-specific immune response. To identify bacterial pathways required for GALT development, we introduced B. fragilis along with stress-response mutants of B. subtilis into germfree-appendix rabbits. We identified two Spo0A-controlled stress responses, sporulation and secretion of the protein YqxM, which are required for GALT development. We conclude that specific members of the commensal, intestinal flora drive GALT development through a specific subset of stress responses.

During the last 15 years several laboratories have attempted to generate rabbit monoclonal antibodies, mainly because rabbits recognize antigens and epitopes that are not immunogenic in mice or rats, two species from which monoclonal antibodies are usually generated. Monoclonal antibodies from rabbits could not be generated, however, because a plasmacytoma fusion partner was not available. To obtain a rabbit plasmacytoma cell line that could be used as a fusion partner we generated transgenic rabbits carrying two transgenes, c-myc and v-abl. These rabbits developed plasmacytomas, and we obtained several plasmacytoma cell lines from which we isolated hypoxanthine/aminopterin/thymidine-sensitive clones. One of these clones, when fused with spleen cells of immunized rabbits, produced stable hybridomas that secreted antibodies specific for the immunogen. The hybridomas can be cloned and propagated in nude mice, and they can be frozen without change in their ability to secrete specific monoclonal antibodies. These rabbit-rabbit hybridomas will be useful not only for production of monoclonal antibodies but also for studies of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements and isotype switching.Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from rabbits have not been available because no rabbit plasmacytomas, from which a hybridoma fusion partner could be generated, have been identified. The availability of rabbit mAbs is, however, highly desirable for several reasons. First, rabbits are known to produce antibodies to many antigens that are not especially immunogenic in mice (1-5). For example, Bystryn et al. (2) directly compared rabbit and mouse antibodies directed against human melanoma cells and showed that they recognize different epitopes. Second, rabbit antibodies are generally of high affinity. Third, because most mAbs are generated in mice and rats, relatively few mAbs are available that react with mouse or rat immunogens. Because of this desire for rabbit mAbs several laboratories developed mouse-rabbit heterohybridomas, but this technology has had limited success. The earliest mouse-rabbit heterohybridomas were unstable and/or secreted only light (L) chain (6-9). Raybould and Takahashi (5) reportedly overcame this problem by using normal rabbit serum (NRS) instead of fetal calf serum (FCS) as a supplement to the culture medium. However, Verbanac et al. (10) described major problems with this method. For example, they found that the heterohybridomas were highly unstable and had to be subcloned every 4-6 weeks to avoid loss of antibody secretion. In our laboratory, we obtained no more than two to five hybridomas per fusion when using the method described by Raybould and Takahashi (5). Further, these heterohybridomas were difficult to clone, and the clones were generally unstable and did not secrete antibody over a prolonged period of time. Thus it became clear that heterohybridomas were not a satisfying solution and that rabbit-rabbit hybridomas were needed to stably produce monoclonal rabbit antibodies. We have now developed a fus...

The omentum is a sheet-like tissue attached to the greater curvature of the stomach and contains secondary lymphoid organs called milky spots. The omentum has been used for its healing potential for over 100 years by transposing the omental pedicle to injured organs (omental transposition), but the mechanism by which omentum helps the healing process of damaged tissues is not well understood. Omental transposition promotes expansion of pancreatic islets, hepatocytes, embryonic kidney, and neurons. Omental cells (OCs) can be activated by foreign bodies in vivo. Once activated, they become a rich source for growth factors and express pluripotent stem cell markers. Moreover, OCs become engrafted in injured tissues suggesting that they might function as stem cells.Omentum consists of a variety of phenotypically and functionally distinctive cells. To understand the mechanism of tissue repair support by the omentum in more detail, we analyzed the cell subsets derived from the omentum on immune and inflammatory responses. Our data demonstrate that the omentum contains at least two groups of cells that support tissue repair, immunomodulatory myeloid derived suppressor cells and omnipotent stem cells that are indistinguishable from mesenchymal stem cells. Based on these data, we propose that the omentum is a designated organ for tissue repair and healing in response to foreign invasion and tissue damage.

The rabbit establishes its primary Ab repertoire by somatically diversifying an initial repertoire that is limited by restricted V H gene segment usage during VDJ gene rearrangement. Somatic diversification occurs in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), and by about 1-2 mo of age nearly all Ig VDJ genes are somatically diversified. In other species that are known to establish their primary Ab repertoire by somatic diversification, such as chicken, sheep, and cattle, diversification appears to be developmentally regulated: it begins before birth and occurs independent of exogenous factors. Because somatic diversification in rabbit occurs well after birth in GALT, the diversification process may not be developmentally regulated, but may require interaction with exogenous factors derived from the gut. To test this hypothesis, we examined Ab repertoire diversification in rabbits in which the appendix was ligated shortly after birth to prevent microbial colonization and all other organized GALT was surgically removed. We found that by 12 wk of age nearly 90% of the Ig VDJ genes in PBL were undiversified, indicating that intestinal microflora are required for somatically diversifying the Ab repertoire. We also examined repertoire diversification in sterilely derived remote colony rabbits that were hand raised away from contact with conventional rabbits and thereby acquired a different gut microflora. In these remote colony rabbits, GALT was underdeveloped, and 70% of the Ig VDJ genes in PBL were undiversified. We conclude that specific, currently unidentified intestinal microflora are required for Ab repertoire diversification. The Journal of Immunology, 2000, 165: 2012-2019.T he rabbit is one of a few vertebrate species known to make limited use of combinatorial joining of multiple V H, D H , and J H gene segments during Ig heavy chain gene rearrangement. Although there are more than 100 V H gene segments available within the rabbit Ig heavy chain locus, many of which appear to be potentially functional (1), the 3Ј-most V H gene segment, V H 1, is utilized in 80 -90% of VDJ gene rearrangements (2). Most of the remaining 10 -20% of VDJ gene rearrangements utilize only two other V H gene segments, V H x and V H y (3). Rabbit B cells diversify their VDJ genes in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) 4 at 1-2 mo of age through two targeted mutational processes: a somatic gene conversion-like mechanism that transfers tracts of nucleotide sequence from upstream V H gene segment donors into the rearranged V H gene segment (4), and somatic hypermutation that distributes point mutations throughout the entire VDJ gene (5-7). At that time, the B cell population is also expanded through proliferation in GALT. B cell proliferation and Ig VDJ gene diversification in GALT results in a large population of B cells that express a wide range of Ab specificities.Several studies have established the importance of GALT in B cell proliferation and VDJ gene diversification. Weinstein et al. (7), for example, determined VDJ gene nucleotide...

Gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALTs) interact with intestinal microflora to drive GALT development and diversify the primary antibody repertoire; however, the molecular mechanisms that link these events remain elusive. Alicia rabbits provide an excellent model to investigate the relationship between GALT, intestinal microflora, and modulation of the antibody repertoire. Most B cells in neonatal Alicia rabbits express VHn allotype immunoglobulin (Ig)M. Within weeks, the number of VHn B cells decreases, whereas VHa allotype B cells increase in number and become predominant. We hypothesized that the repertoire shift from VHn to VHa B cells results from interactions between GALT and intestinal microflora. To test this hypothesis, we surgically removed organized GALT from newborn Alicia pups and ligated the appendix to sequester it from intestinal microflora. Flow cytometry and nucleotide sequence analyses revealed that the VHn to VHa repertoire shift did not occur, demonstrating the requirement for interactions between GALT and intestinal microflora in the selective expansion of VHa B cells. By comparing amino acid sequences of VHn and VHa Ig, we identified a putative VH ligand binding site for a bacterial or endogenous B cell superantigen. We propose that interaction of such a superantigen with VHa B cells results in their selective expansion.