title: The level of lambda 1 light chain expression in the mouse reflects the probability of rearrangement of the relevant gene.
abstract: The predominance of kappa over lambda light chain expression in mice can either reflect the probability of rearrangement of the relevant locus or be the result of antigen-driven clonal expansion. To discriminate between these two possibilities we determined, by limiting dilution analysis, the frequencies of kappa- and lambda-producing cells in B lymphocytes generated in vitro from bone marrow pre-B cells. The frequencies obtained in these cultures are not significantly different from those obtained with mature spleen cells. In addition, Southern blot analysis of bone marrow-derived and splenic cell DNA revealed that in both populations the extent of B lymphocytes having undergone lambda 1 gene rearrangement does not exceed 4%. These results, therefore, establish that in the mouse the low level of lambda light chain expression directly reflects the probability of rearrangement of the relevant locus.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Primi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levi-Strauss
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cazenave
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell