Reexpression of RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes in activated mature mouse B cells.
Recombination activating genes (RAG-1 and RAG-2), involved in V(D)J rearrangement of immunoglobulin genes, have been thought to be expressed only in immature stages of B-cell development. However, RAG-1 and RAG-2 transcripts were found to be reexpressed in mature mouse B cells after culture with interleukin-4 in association with several different co-stimuli. Reexpression was also detected in draining lymph nodes from immunized mice. RAG-1 and RAG-2 proteins could be detected by immunofluorescence microscopy in the nuclei of B cells cultured in vitro and in the germinal centers of draining lymph nodes. These findings suggest that RAG gene products play a heretofore unsuspected role in mature B cells.
Hikida
M
M
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka, Okayama 700, Japan. hit2224@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
Mori
M
M
Takai
T
T
Tomochika
K
K
Hamatani
K
K
Ohmori
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D016654:Genes, RAG-1; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D017578:Immunoglobulin Class Switching; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007378:Interleukins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011506:Proteins; C499308:Rag2 protein, mouse; C064655:V(D)J recombination activating protein 2; C064658:RAG-1 protein; D015847:Interleukin-4