AGE-ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN THE B-CELL REPERTOIRE - EFFECT OF AGE ON RAG-1 GENE-EXPRESSION IN MURINE BONE-MARROW

The available repertoire of B cells that develop early or late in life reflects the restricted recombination of 5' immunoglobulin heavy chai n variable region genes. In addition, autoantibody reactivity is overr epresented in the preferentially recombined 3' Vh gene families, resul ting in over representation of autoreactive antibody specificities. Th e preferential utilization of 3' Vh gene families is associated with, and perhaps caused by, the reduced expression of the RAG-1 gene. One c an only speculate what effect the induction of RAG-1 activity in the b one marrow of old mice would have on their antibody repertoire.