Induction of pre-B cell proliferation after de novo synthesis of the pre-B cell receptor.
The assembly of a pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) composed of an Ig mu heavy chain (mu H-chain), the surrogate light (SL) chain, and the Ig alpha/beta dimer is critical for late pro-B cells to advance to the pre-B cell stage. By using a transgenic mouse model, in which mu H-chain synthesis is solely driven by a tetracycline-controlled transactivator, we show that de novo synthesis of mu H-chain in transgenic pro-B cells not only induces differentiation but also proliferation. This positive effect of mu H-chain synthesis on proliferation requires the presence of SL chain and costimulatory signals provided by stromal cells or IL-7. We conclude that pre-BCR signaling induces clonal expansion of early pre-B cells.
Hess
J
J
Institut für Medizinische Strahlenkunde und Zellforschung (MSZ), University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 5, D-97078 Würzburg, Germany.
Werner
A
A
Wirth
T
T
Melchers
F
F
Jäck
H M
HM
Winkler
T H
TH
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D015870:Gene Expression; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D054444:Immunoglobulin Light Chains, Surrogate; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D019076:Transgenes; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D054444:Immunoglobulin Light Chains, Surrogate; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D015851:Interleukin-7; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D013752:Tetracycline