Expression of recombination activating genes in germinal center B cells: involvement of interleukin 7 (IL-7) and the IL-7 receptor.
Mouse germinal center (GC) B cells have been shown to undergo secondary V(D)J (V, variable; D, diversity; J, joining) recombination (receptor editing) mediated by the reexpressed products of recombination activating gene (RAG)-1 and RAG-2. We show here that interleukin (IL)-7 as well as IL-4 was effective in inducing functional RAG products in mouse IgD+ B cells activated via CD40 in vitro. Blocking of the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) by injecting an anti- IL-7R monoclonal antibody resulted in a marked suppression of the reexpression of RAG-2 and subsequent V(D)J recombination in the draining lymph node of immunized mice, whereas RAG-2 expression was not impaired in immunized IL-4-deficient mice. Further, these peripheral B cells activated in vitro or in vivo were found to express IL-7R. These findings indicate a novel role for IL-7 and IL-7R in inducing receptor editing in GC B cells.
Hikida
M
M
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
Nakayama
Y
Y
Yamashita
Y
Y
Kumazawa
Y
Y
Nishikawa
S I
SI
Ohmori
H
H
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000276:immunology*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015851:Interleukin-7; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7