Very Low Affinity B Cells Form Germinal Centers, Become Memory B Cells, and Participate in Secondary Immune Responses When Higher Affinity Competition Is Reduced

To understand the relationship between the affinity of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) and the immune response to antigen, two lines of immunoglobulin H chain transgenic (Tg) mice were created. H50Gμ^a and T1(V23)μ^a mice express μ H chain transgenes that associate with the λ1 L chains to bind the (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl hapten with association constants (K_as) of only 1.2 × 10⁵ M⁻¹ and 3 × 10⁴ M⁻¹, respectively. Both lines mounted substantial antibody-forming cell (AFC) and germinal center (GC) responses. H50Gμ^a Tg mice also generated memory B cells. T1(V23)μ^a B cells formed AFC and GCs, but were largely replaced in late GCs by antigen-specific cells that express endogenous BCRs. Thus, B lymphocytes carrying BCRs with affinities previously thought to be irrelevant in specific immune responses are in fact capable of complete T cell–dependent immune responses when relieved of substantial competition from other B cells. The failure to observe such B cells normally in late primary responses and in memory B cell populations is the result of competition, rather than an intrinsic inability of low affinity B cells.