Non-productive or thalassemic-like heavy-chain gene rearrangement in a K-chain CLL clone.
Information obtained from the study of immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangement in different types of lymphoproliferative disorders has led to the suggestion that Ig gene activation obeys a precise hierarchy in which heavy-chain gene rearrangement procedes light-chain gene recombination. However no information is available on the mechanism(s) controlling this sequential activation. We report here a case of CLL which suggests that the expression of the heavy-chain genes is not necessary for light-chain gene rearrangement, or that very low amounts of heavy-chain mRNA and/or heavy chains are sufficient to activate k-chain genes.
Martinez
G
G
Ferreira
R
R
Hernandez
A
A
Cruz
C
C
Hernandez
P
P
Fernandez
R O
RO
Felicetti
L
L
Colombo
B
B
D000368:Aged; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments / Q000235:genetics*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000235:genetics*
D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments