Immunoglobulin JH, C mu, and C gamma gene rearrangements in human B lymphocytes clonally transformed by Epstein-Barr virus.
Somatic rearrangements and deletions of immunoglobulin gene segments have been demonstrated in several types of murine B cells. In addition, rearrangements of the JH, C mu, and light chain immunoglobulin gene segments have been reported in human pre-B-cell leukemias and B-cell lymphomas. We have used recombinant DNA probes for the human JH, C mu, and C gamma immunoglobulin gene loci to analyze the genetic events associated with heavy chain gene expression in human B cells clonally transformed by Epstein-Barr virus. Southern hybridization analysis of BamHI-digested cell clone DNAs shows that these human B-cell clones often have bi-allelic JH rearrangements and that heavy chain isotype switching is associated with bichromosomal C mu and C gamma gene rearrangements. Deletions of germ line C mu and C gamma segments were observed that were sometimes bi-allelic. Overall, the observed rearrangements and deletions of heavy chain constant region genes suggest that human heavy chain class switching proceeds in a general order consistent with the proposed order of the heavy chain gene classes along chromosome 14.
Brown
N A
NA
Liu
C
C
Berenson
J R
JR
Garcia
C R
CR
Wang
R
R
Calame
K L
KL
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002999:Clone Cells; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007144:Immunoglobulin J-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007144:Immunoglobulin J-Chains; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D004247:DNA; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI