Homeostasis of peripheral B cells in the absence of B cell influx from the bone marrow.
To study homeostasis of peripheral B lymphocytes in the absence of B cell influx from the bone marrow, we generated a mouse mutant in which the recombination-activating gene (RAG)-2 can be inducibly deleted. When RAG-2 was deleted at the age of 8-10 wk, splenic naive follicular B cells were gradually lost over a year of observation, with a half-life of approximately 4.5 mo. By contrast, the pool of marginal zone B cells in the spleen and of B-1 cells in the peritoneal cavity were kept at normal level. In lymph nodes, approximately 90% of the B cells were lost within 4 mo, and B cell numbers remained constant thereafter. Mice in which RAG-2 was deleted at birth maintained a small population of activated B cells with an increased proportion of marginal zone B cells. Additionally, an increase of the pool of IgM secreting cells and B-1a cells was observed.
Hao
Z
Z
Department of Immunology, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, D-50931 Cologne, Germany.
Rajewsky
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C499308:Rag2 protein, mouse; C064655:V(D)J recombination activating protein 2