ANALYSIS OF THE EXPRESSION AND SECRETION OF ISOTYPES OF SHEEP B-CELL IMMUNOGLOBULINS WITH A PANEL OF ISOTYPE-SPECIFIC MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

Monoclonal antibodies to sheep light chain, IgM and IgG were produced and used to assess total immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis by sheep B cell s in culture and antibodies to specific antigens. By using these antib odies in a dual fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of sheep efferent lymph B lymphocytes the percentage change in surface Ig isoty pe of B lymphoblasts from IgM to IgG after the antigenic stimulation o f the local lymph node was measured. An extension of this analysis to paired blood and afferent or efferent lymph B cells made it possible t o investigate the recirculation characteristics of B cells expressing different Ig isotypes.