Expression of an immunoglobulin heavy chain gene transfected into lymphocytes.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Mouse lymphoid cell lines can be transfected at high efficiencies (10-70%) by a polyoma virus shuttle vector. Expression of a cloned mouse .alpha. H chain gene transfected into cell lines representative of all stages in B-lymphocyte development, a T-cell lymphoma line and 3T3 fibroblasts was obtained with this vector. H chain gene expression in transfected H chain-producing myeloma cells occurred at levels comparable to those in IgA-secreting myeloma cells. H chains produced in transfected myeloma cells were associated with H chains in membrane-bound and secreted IgA. While T-lymphoma cells and fibroblasts were transfected at similar efficiencies to B cells, significantly lower levels of .alpha. H chains were produced. This Ig gene transfection system provides a powerful approach for defining important regulatory regions in Ig genes and for identifying lymphoid cell factors invovled in Ig gene expression in B-lymphocyte development.