title: The pre-B cell receptor and its function during B cell development.
abstract: The process of B cell development in the bone marrow occurs by the stepwise rearrangements of the V, D, and J segments of the Ig H and L chain gene loci. During early B cell genesis, productive Ig H chain gene rearrangement leads to assembly of the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR), which acts as an important checkpoint at the pro-B/preB transitional stage. The pre-BCR, transiently expressed by developing precursor B cells, comprises the Ig muH chain, surrogate light (SL) chains VpreB and lambda5, as well as the signal-transducing heterodimer Ig alpha/Ig beta. Signaling through the pre-BCR regulates allelic exclusion at the Ig H locus, stimulates cell proliferation, and induces differentiation to small post-mitotic pre-B cells that further undergo the rearrangement of the Ig L chain genes. Recent advances in elucidating the key roles of pre-BCR in B cell development have provided a better understanding of normal B lymphopoiesis and its dysregulated state leading to B cell neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gopesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D054420:Pre-B Cell Receptors; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D054420:Pre-B Cell Receptors; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell