Stage-specific transcription of germline lgH Cγ and Cα regions during human B cell differentiation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that transcription of germline heavy chain constant region (CH)genes in murlne B cells may determine the potential of their different CH regions to undergo isotype switch recombination. We have examined the transcriptional activity across the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) locus in human B lineage cells. Transcription of germline Cγ and Cα was observed in every surface lgM+ or surface lgM+/lgD+ B cell stage cell line and malignancy. In contrast, such transcription could not be detected in pre-B cells and only low levels of Cα but not Cγ transcription were evident in IgM-secreting plasmablast cells. Transcriptional activity of germline IgH Cε was singularly absent at all stages of B cell development. Our results suggest that germline transcription of the Cγ and Cα regions may be a constitutive feature of the human B cell differentiation program. Because this transcriptional activity is limited primarily to the B cell stage and occurs prior to the actual isotype switch, the induction of Cγ and Cα transcription may represent preparation of the downstream lgH chromatin for potential switch recombination.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: