title: Histone 3 lysine 4 methylation during the pre-B to immature B-cell transition.
abstract: The relationship between chromatin modification and lymphocyte development is still poorly understood. Here we show a correlation between methylation of lysine 4 on histone 3 (H3-K4) and activation of several loci required for the pre-B cell to immature B-cell developmental transition. A critical step in this transition is the induction of V(D)J recombination at the Igkappa locus. Upon activation of Igkappa recombination, a >10-fold enrichment of both di- and trimethylated H3-K4 is observed at Jkappa targeting signals, but not at an analogous targeting signal in the T-cell receptor alpha locus or, surprisingly, at several Vkappa signals. However, H3-K4 methylation is restricted to the actively recombining fraction of Jkappa recombination targeting signals, consistent with a direct relationship between H3-K4 methylation and signal activity. Correlations between increased H3-K4 methylation and induction of transcription are also observed at some, but not all, loci where transcription is induced. H3-K4 methylation may therefore be a widely used but not universal means for controlling chromatin activity in this developmental transition.
authors.affiliation: Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Kee
authors.forename: Dale A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ramsden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D008239:Lysine