VH gene expression by nontransformed pre-B cells upon differentiation in vitro.
Mice have more than 1000 VH gene segments, and each pre-B cell must choose a single one for rearrangement to encode the V portion of the antibody H chain. Presumably, all or most of the functional VH gene segments must be chosen by the population of B lymphocytes if the organism is to express the diversity that is observed in the immune system. Control of the selection of a VH gene segment for expression is not understood. We have found that the members of the VH gene family closest to the constant genes, the 7183 family, are transcribed in a manner that is specific for the stage of B cell development after pre-B cells derived from spleens of 6- to 8-wk-old nude mice are induced to differentiate in vitro by a mixture of dendritic cells and mitogen-activated T lymphocytes (DC-T). DC-T from spleens and lymph nodes induce transient high levels of synthesis of RNA from the 7183 VH family, whereas DC-T from Peyer's patches of mice of the same age as those from which spleen and lymph node DC-T were prepared did not induce the expression of RNA from that gene family. Spleen and Peyer's patch DC-T induce secretion of similar total amounts of antibody. Therefore, the RNA synthesis from members of at least one VH gene family is specific both for the lymphoid tissue in which B cell differentiation occurs and for the developmental stage of the B lymphoid cells.
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007399:Interphase; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000166:cytology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region