Immature B cells can pass through a VHDJH/germ line state in the Ig H chain gene rearrangements

Abstract

SPL2-1-2, an Ig- murine immature B cell line, was established by the infection of immature B cells with tsOS-59, a temperature-sensitive mutant of Abelson murine leukemia virus. Southern blot and DNA cloning and sequencing analysis showed that SPL2-1-2 had a nonproductive VHQ52.DSP2.JH3 and a germ line (G) allele (VHDJH-/G), and that D to JH joinings followed by VH to DJH joinings progressed on the G allele during culture. These results indicated the existence of novel pathway of IgH gene rearrangements: G/G----DJH/G----VHDJH/G----VHDJH/DJH----VHDJH /VHDJH. This also implied that whether DJH/G state progressed to DJH/DJH or VHDJH/G state was stochastically determined, but not strictly controlled in an ordered fashion, although DJH/G state progressed more preferentially to DJH/DJH state than to VHDJH/G state.