title: Senescent BALB/c mice exhibit decreased expression of lambda5 surrogate light chains and reduced development within the pre-B cell compartment.
abstract: Although senescent BALB/c mice (approximately 2 years old) have reduced numbers of small pre-B cells, early pre-B cells (CD43+CD25+B220+) are present in comparable numbers within the bone marrow of both young (3-6-month-old) and senescent BALB/c mice. The transition of CD43+ pre-B cells to the CD43- pre-B cell compartments is dependent on proliferation and clonal maturation dictated by the pre-B cell receptor (mu/lambda5/VpreB). In vivo, senescent CD43+B220+ pro-B/early pre-B cells demonstrated reduction of lambda5 mRNA, by RT-PCR analysis, and of both surface and cytoplasmic lambda5 protein. Decreased lambda5 protein expression was also seen among pro-B/pre-B cells derived from senescent bone marrow after stimulation in vitro with IL-7. We propose that diminished expression of the lambda5 surrogate light chain results in decreased pre-B cell receptor formation and contributes to reduced recruitment of nascent CD43+ pre-B cells into the CD43- large and small pre-B cell compartments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sherwood
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Blomberg
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Riley
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000254:growth & development; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains