title: Suppression of B lymphopoiesis at a lymphoid progenitor stage in adult rabbits.
abstract: B lymphopoiesis in rabbits is robust early in ontogeny, but is arrested by 16 weeks of age at which time no proB or preB cells are found in bone marrow (BM). To determine if BM cells from adults retain B lymphopoietic potential, we transferred BM from adult green fluorescent protein (gfp) transgenic rabbits into young rabbits. We found gfp+ preB cells arising in the young recipients, indicating that BM cells from adults can differentiate into B cell precursors. We identified a population of MHCII-IL-7-binding BM cells in adults that collectively expresses Tdt, EBF and Pax5-genes known to be expressed in murine lymphoid progenitors. Upon co-culture with OP9 or OP9 delta-like 1+ stromal cells, we found that these cells both expanded in number and differentiated into B and T cell precursors, respectively, showing that early lymphoid progenitors, designated rLP for rabbit lymphoid progenitors, are present within the MHCII-IL-7-binding BM cell population. Further, IL-7 was required for rLPs to expand and differentiate into B cell precursors in vitro. The arrest of B lymphopoiesis in adults, however, is not likely due to the absence of IL-7, because the level of IL-7 transcripts was higher in BM from adults than in young rabbits. B lymphopoiesis was re-initiated in adults after sub-lethal irradiation as shown by the reappearance of B cell precursors and the presence of B cell receptor excision circles in BM. We conclude that B lymphopoiesis in adults is suppressed at a lymphoid progenitor stage (MHCII-IL-7 binding) of development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kalis
authors.forename: Shi-Kang
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Pi-Chen
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Yam
authors.forename: Pamela L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Knight
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D038041:Lymphopoiesis / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051757:PAX5 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics; D011817:Rabbits; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015851:Interleukin-7; D051757:PAX5 Transcription Factor; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; C415350:interleukin-7 receptor, alpha chain; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase