Affiliation:
1. From the Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne,Weyertal 121, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Abstract
In mouse mutants incapable of expressing μ chains, VκJκ 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)κ genes before the assembly of a productive VHDHJH joint. Thus, μ chain expression is not a prerequisite to Igκ light chain gene rearrangements in normal development. Overall, ∼15% of the total CD43+ B cell progenitor population carry Igκ 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 Igκ loci independently, with a seven times higher frequency in the former. In addition, we show that in B cell progenitors VκJκ joining rapidly initiates κ chain expression, irrespective of the presence of a μ chain.
Publisher
Rockefeller University Press
Subject
Immunology,Immunology and Allergy
Cited by
70 articles.
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