Early precursors of B lymphocytes II. Exploitation of the singular properties of rabbit pre‐B cells in their purification

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Abstract
Rabbit pre‐B cells are almost uniformly large and low in density and bear a modest number of Fc receptors (McElroy, P. J., Willcox, N. and Catty, D., Eur. J. Immunol. 1981. 11: 76). A simple density gradient centrifugation procedure consistently and rapidly enriches them to 20‐35% frequencies. At the same time, it depletes them of most of the B cells, phagocytic and erythroid cells that are also common in bone marrow, and are of progressively higher densities. The low‐density fractions include 45‐55% of large blast‐like cells and have 35‐45% of cells with Fc receptors. By isolating the large Fc receptor‐bearing cells from low‐density fractions of baby rabbit bone marrow on a fluorescence‐activated cell sorter, pre‐B cells were obtained at approximately 60% frequency and virtually uncontaminated by B cells (or plasma cells). This level of purity is perhaps adequate for the critical experiments necessary to establish the precursor status of pre‐B cells definitively, and it might also prove valuable for studying the mechanisms of the genetic rearrangements that occur in early B cell development.

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