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. 1999 Jan 4;189(1):75-88.
doi: 10.1084/jem.189.1.75.

Rearrangement and expression of immunoglobulin light chain genes can precede heavy chain expression during normal B cell development in mice

T I Novobrantseva  1 , V M Martin, R Pelanda, W Müller, K Rajewsky, A Ehlich
Affiliations

Rearrangement and expression of immunoglobulin light chain genes can precede heavy chain expression during normal B cell development in mice

T I Novobrantseva et al. J Exp Med. .

Abstract

In mouse mutants incapable of expressing mu chains, VkappaJkappa joints are detected in the CD43(+) B cell progenitors. In agreement with these earlier results, we show by a molecular single cell analysis that 4-7% of CD43(+) B cell progenitors in wild-type mice rearrange immunoglobulin (Ig)kappa genes before the assembly of a productive VHDHJH joint. Thus, mu chain expression is not a prerequisite to Igkappa light chain gene rearrangements in normal development. Overall, approximately 15% of the total CD43(+) B cell progenitor population carry Igkappa gene rearrangements in wild-type mice. Together with the results obtained in the mouse mutants, these data fit a model in which CD43(+) progenitors rearrange IgH and Igkappa loci independently, with a seven times higher frequency in the former. In addition, we show that in B cell progenitors VkappaJkappa joining rapidly initiates kappa chain expression, irrespective of the presence of a mu chain.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Staining of bone marrow B cell precursors for intracellular Igκ expression. Fraction B cells from wild-type (A) and 3-83κi/+ mice (B). Fraction D cells from wild-type (C) and 3-83κi/+ mice (D). Anti-Igκ chain antibody is shown on the y-axis, and the forward scatter of the cells is shown on the x-axis. Fraction D cells were used to gate κ+ cells. Numbers indicate the percentage of cells in the window.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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