The goal of this project is to identify the external factor(s) which stimulate VDJ gene diversification of the rabbit antibody repertoire. The research design is based on the fact that rabbits isolated from normal colony flora and fed sterile milk formula and autoclaved solid food diversify their antibody to a much lesser extent than age-matched normal rabbits. Groups of these rabbits will be exposed differentially to normal colony flora, mother's milk, and food sterilized by alternate methods to identify the external factors(s) required for stimulation of rabbit VDJ diversification. Identifying this factor and the mechanism by which it mediates its effect would be a significant contribution to the field with potential implications for antibody repertoire development in humans.
