RNA analysis of B cell lines arrested at defined stages of differentiation allows for an approximation of gene expression patterns during B cell development.
The development of a mature B lymphocyte from a bone marrow stem cell is a highly ordered process involving stages with defined features and gene expression patterns. To obtain a deeper understanding of the molecular genetics of this process, we have performed RNA expression analysis of a set of mouse B lineage cell lines representing defined stages of B cell development using Affymetrix microarrays. The cells were grouped based on their previously defined phenotypic features, and a gene expression pattern for each group of cell lines was established. The data indicated that the cell lines representing a defined stage generally presented a high similarity in overall expression profiles. Numerous genes could be identified as expressed with a restricted pattern using dCHIP-based, quantitative comparisons or presence/absence-based, probabilistic state analysis. These experiments provide a model for gene expression during B cell development, and the correctly identified expression patterns of a number of control genes suggest that a series of cell lines can be useful tools in the elucidation of the molecular genetics of a complex differentiation process.
Tsapogas
Panagiotis
P
Laboratory for Cellular Differentiation, Department for Stemcell Biology, Lund University, Sweden.
Breslin
Thomas
T
Bilke
Sven
S
Lagergren
Anna
A
Månsson
Robert
R
Liberg
David
D
Peterson
Carsten
C
Sigvardsson
Mikael
M
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D051379:Mice; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011338:Probability Theory; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis*
D012313:RNA