In apparent contrast, results from immunization studies with the hapten (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl) acetyl suggested a stochastic model, in which a particular B cell is recruited equally to develop into either extrafollicular or germinal center responses 25, 26. It is difficult to analyze B-cell fate decisions in vivo due selleck products to the lack of known unique characteristics of B cells that give rise to extrafollicular foci and germinal centers, respectively. Our aim was to establish a system with which to follow the contributions of a naturally occurring, antigen-specific B-cell

population to help elucidate early B-cell selection events following influenza virus infection. Earlier immunization studies with influenza A/Puerto Rico/34/8 (A/PR8) revealed a particularly strong, virus neutralizing and protective 2 early-induced response encoded by the C12 idiotype (C12Id) to one of the four major antigenic sites on HA1, the Cb site, in BALB/c mice 27. Following immunization these C12Id+ HA-specific Ab were shown to dominate the early HA-specific serum IgG response, but were absent from secondary responses 24, 27. In contrast to another extensively studied idiotype-restricted response (C4) specific for the antigenic

site Sb, which showed extensive mutations following immunization with influenza A/PR8 28–31, sequence analysis of over 50 HA-specific hybridomas generated following primary immunization indicated PF-02341066 purchase oxyclozanide that C12Id+ Ab are exclusively germline

encoded 27. C12Id Ab utilize a single Vκ-gene (Vk4/5–VkC12), together with one of two closely related VH-genes from the J558 family (VHC12.1 and VHC12.2). In contrast to their similar V-gene usage, these Ab use any of the four Jk and JH genes, respectively and at least three distinct D genes. Thus, HA-specific C12Id+ Ab are diverse in CDR3 region lengths and sequence, while sharing fine specificity for the Cb site 27. Using labeled influenza A/PR8 HA 32 and a mAb to C12Id 24 we followed C12Id+ HA-specific B cells in the context of the polyclonal B-cell response to influenza virus infection in WT mice. The current study identifies HA-specific C12Id+ B cells as conventional follicular B cells that initiate both extra- and intra-follicular B-cell responses, although with a strong bias toward the extrafollicular response type. This bias was not overcome with increased availability of T-cell help, suggesting that infection-induced innate signals might drive the preponderance of extrafollicular responses during early infection.