title: Cell-type preference of immunoglobulin kappa and lambda gene promoters.
abstract: Immunoglobulin gene constant regions are known to be associated with strictly tissue-specific enhancer elements. Until recently the promoter of the variable region, which becomes linked to the constant region by somatic rearrangement, could have been viewed as a passive recipient of the enhancer stimulus. Here we show that the promoters of the immunoglobulin kappa and lambda light chain genes are approximately 20-30 times more active in lymphoid cells than in non-lymphoid cells. To avoid the problem of differential mRNA stability upon transfection of immunoglobulin genes into non-lymphoid cells we have constructed chimeric genes. All kappa mRNA sequences were progressively deleted to fuse the kappa gene promoter to a globin gene coding body. A similar chimeric gene was constructed with the promoter of the lambda gene. The cell-type preference of the promoter may be exploited during B-lymphocyte differentiation to regulate the immunoglobulin gene promoter independently from the enhancer.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005796:Genes; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics*; D007668:Kidney; D051379:Mice; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011817:Rabbits; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005914:Globins; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes