title: Pre-BCR signals and the control of Ig gene rearrangements.
abstract: Progenitor B lymphocytes that successfully assemble a heavy chain gene encoding an immunoglobulin capable of pairing with surrogate light chain proteins trigger their own further differentiation by signaling via the pre-BCR complex. The pre-BCR signals several rounds of proliferation and, in this expanded population, directs a complex, B cell-specific set of epigenetic changes resulting in allelic exclusion of the heavy chain locus and activation of the light chain loci for V(D)J recombination.
authors.affiliation: UC-Berkeley, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, Division of Immunology, 439 Life Sciences Addition, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Geier
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Schlissel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte / Q000502:physiology*; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D054420:Pre-B Cell Receptors; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D054420:Pre-B Cell Receptors; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell