Differential expression of the c-myb proto-oncogene marks the pre-B cell/B cell junction in murine B lymphoid tumors.
A series of murine B lymphoid tumor cell lines which are representative of the pre-B cell, immature and mature B cell, and plasma cell stages of B cell development have been examined for expression of c-myb proto-oncogene mRNA. The pre-B cell lymphoma cell lines express equivalent high steady state levels of c-myb mRNA. In contrast, the B cell lymphoma and plasmacytoma cell lines express steady state c-myb mRNA at levels which are 0.005 to 0.1 times that of the pre-B cell lymphoma lines. These results correlate high levels of c-myb mRNA expression with the pre-B cell stage of development. Subclones of the 1881 pre-B cell lymphoma which express K light chain and are surface IgM-positive as well as two types of hybrid B lymphoid cell lines have been used to demonstrate that surface immunoglobulin expression is not sufficient to result in the down-regulation of c-myb mRNA levels or changes in the expression N-myc mRNA, lambda 5 mRNA, or the BP-1 surface antigen which are markers of the pre-B cell stage of development. Thus, changes in the expression of genes which are independent of immunoglobulin expression are associated with transition from the pre-B cell to the immature B cell stage of development.
Bender
T P
TP
National Cancer Institute-Navy Medical Oncology Branch, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Kuehl
W M
WM
D000818:Animals; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020598:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000473:pathology*
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D020598:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell