Flow cytometric analysis of cell proliferation dynamics in the B cell compartment of the mouse.
Using a method which allows simultaneous flow cytometric detection of cell surface markers and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, the distribution and proliferative behavior of B lineage subpopulations was studied in intact adult mice. In the bone marrow we could define two subsets of B cells on the basis of differential expression of the pan-B cell marker B220 and of membrane-associated mu and delta immunoglobulin heavy chains. B220dull mu+ delta- B cells were found to emerge from rapidly dividing cells and probably represent B cells recently generated from B220dull mu- pre-B cells. In contrast, only few, if any, of the B220bright mu+ delta+ B cells were labeled with BrdU after a period of 8 days, suggesting that these cells represent long-lived B cells residing in the bone marrow. Analysis of BrdU-incorporation into splenic B cells showed that only 20% of these cells had gone through cell division during the preceding 8 days. Almost none of the B cells in the peritoneum, a large fraction of which belongs to the Ly1 B subset, were labeled with BrdU over a period of 7 days in 8-month-old animals.
Förster
I
I
Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, FRG.
Vieira
P
P
Rajewsky
K
K
D000818:Animals; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007138:Immunoglobulin delta-Chains; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell
D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D007138:Immunoglobulin delta-Chains; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine