title: Establishment of a leukemic cell model for studying human pre-B to B cell differentiation.
abstract: Reproducible models for examining early stages of human B cell differentiation are poorly developed. We now describe the establishment and characterization of a novel human leukemic cell line that recapitulates the pre-B to B cell stage of differentiation. This cell line, designated BLIN-1, was initially established in tissue culture medium containing low m.w. B cell growth factor, and consistently shows a dependency on this cytokine for optimal growth at low density. BLIN-1 cells have a 9p chromosomal abnormality, identical to the abnormality present in the leukemic blasts from the patient's original bone marrow aspirate. The immunologic phenotype of BLIN-1 is consistent with a cell arrested at the pre-B cell stage of development. Analysis of Ig gene rearrangement and Ig expression in a series of BLIN-1 subclones show that the cells spontaneously rearrange kappa light chain genes, leading to the differentiation of surface kappa-negative pre-B cells into surface kappa-positive B cells. The BLIN-1 cell line is, to our knowledge, the first defined human model for examining this critical developmental stage in human B cell ontogeny. As such, it offers a unique resource for examining variables influencing onset of kappa L chain gene rearrangement and expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine/Pathology, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis 55455.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wörmann
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Liberty
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gajl-Peczalska
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Brunning
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Silberman
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: LeBien
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001685:Biological Factors; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines; D015328:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Light Chain; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors; D016207:Cytokines