Early B-lymphocyte precursors and their regulation by sex steroids.
This review describes an improved characterization of early B-lymphocyte precursors in mice and the remarkable sensitivity of the same cells to hormones. The nuclear enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) was used as a marker to image and characterize bone marrow cells lacking all lineage-associated markers. Most early TdT+ precursors have a distinctive density of c-kit and express the interleukin-7Ralpha chain, as well as flt-3/flk2, but lack CD34. An understanding of those cell surface properties made it possible to obtain highly enriched, viable cells with the potential to give rise to CD19+ lymphocytes in culture. A series of other flow cytometry and culture experiments suggested a possible differentiation sequence for these early pro-B cells. This new model was used to advantage in our studies of sex steroids. It appears that early precursors represent a hormone-sensitive control point for determining numbers of new B lymphocytes that are produced within bone marrow. We also compare and contrast these findings with B lymphopoiesis in humans.
Immunobiology and Cancer Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City 73104, USA. paul-kincade@omrf.ouhsc.edu
P W
PW
Kincade
K L
KL
Medina
K J
KJ
Payne
M I
MI
Rossi
K S
KS
Tudor
Y
Y
Yamashita
T
T
Kouro
D000818:Animals; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000276:immunology; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D013256:Steroids / Q000502:physiology; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000276:immunology
D018941:Antigens, CD19; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D004967:Estrogens; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D013256:Steroids