Epitope-specific human influenza antibody repertoires diversify by B cell intraclonal sequence divergence and interclonal convergence.

ABSTRACT: We generated from a single blood sample five independent human mAbs that recognized the Sa antigenic site on the head of influenza hemagglutinin and exhibited inhibitory activity against a broad panel of H1N1 strains. All five Abs used the V(H)3-7 and J(H)6 gene segments, but at least four independent clones were identified by junctional analysis. High-throughput sequence analysis of circulating B cells revealed that each of the independent clones were members of complex phylogenetic lineages that had diversified widely using a pattern of progressive diversification through somatic mutation. Unexpectedly, B cells encoding multiple diverging lineages of these clones, including many containing very few mutations in the Ab genes, persisted in the circulation. Conversely, we noted frequent ins

SUBMITTER: Krause JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3178754 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature