Joining chain-expressing and -nonexpressing B cell populations in the mouse

Summary, in English

The diphtheria toxin A chain (DTA) was gene targeted into the Joining chain (J chain) locus to create a mouse strain selecting against J chain-expressing cells, JDTA mice. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)M and serum IgG were reduced six to eightfold, while serum IgA was elevated 14-fold in these mice. JDTA mice were immune competent although the serum Ig response compared with wild-type mice was reduced sixfold at day 14 but only fourfold at day 45 after immunization. Exchanging the DTA gene with a cDNA for c-myc resulted in mice with a distinct phenotype with increased Ig production and enhanced humoral immune responses. Analysis of single B cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in vitro using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that J chain-nonexpressing B cells could be detected that had a secretory phenotype as determined by an abundance of transcript for secretory IgM. Finally, limiting dilution analysis of peripheral B cells showed that J chain expression was a clonal property already established in naive, peripheral B lymphocytes.

• Author: Lena Erlandsson; Peter Akerblad; C Vingsbo-Lundberg; Eva Källberg; Nils Lycke; Tomas Leanderson
• Department/s: Immunology
• Publishing year: 2001
• Language: English
• Pages: 557-570
• Publication/Series: Journal of Experimental Medicine
• Volume: 194
• Issue: 5
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1084/jem.194.5.557
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Rockefeller University Press
• Topic: Immunology in the medical area
• Keywords: B cells; plasma cells; mice; ES cells; J chain
• Status: Published
• Research group: Immunology
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1540-9538