Joining chain-expressing and -nonexpressing B cell populations in the mouse.
The diphtheria toxin A chain (DTA) was gene targeted into the Joining chain (J chain) locus to create a mouse strain selecting against J chain-expressing cells, JDTA mice. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)M and serum IgG were reduced six to eightfold, while serum IgA was elevated 14-fold in these mice. JDTA mice were immune competent although the serum Ig response compared with wild-type mice was reduced sixfold at day 14 but only fourfold at day 45 after immunization. Exchanging the DTA gene with a cDNA for c-myc resulted in mice with a distinct phenotype with increased Ig production and enhanced humoral immune responses. Analysis of single B cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in vitro using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that J chain-nonexpressing B cells could be detected that had a secretory phenotype as determined by an abundance of transcript for secretory IgM. Finally, limiting dilution analysis of peripheral B cells showed that J chain expression was a clonal property already established in naive, peripheral B lymphocytes.
Erlandsson
L
L
Immunology Section, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Lund University, S-221 84 Lund, Sweden.
Akerblad
P
P
Vingsbo-Lundberg
C
C
Kallberg
E
E
Lycke
N
N
Leanderson
T
T
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004167:Diphtheria Toxin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005091:Exons; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood; D007133:Immunoglobulin Joining Region / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection
D004167:Diphtheria Toxin; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D007133:Immunoglobulin Joining Region; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C029795:diphtheria toxin fragment A