Open AccessCharacterization of the CDR3 region of rearranged α heavy chain genes in human fetal liver
Author(s) -
Berivan Baskin,
Khalid B. Islam,
C. I. E. Smith
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1998.00547.x
Subject(s) - fetus , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , gene , biology , gestation , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , pregnancy , in vitro
The human fetal liver is an early site for B cell development. Pre B cells are first detectable in human fetal life at 8 weeks of gestation, when the rearrangement of the μ heavy chain genes starts. In this study we characterize the CDR3 region of rearranged α heavy chain transcripts from four human fetal livers ranging from 8 to 11 weeks of gestation. Each fetal liver showed a limited number of variations in CDR3 sequences compared with adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Sequence analysis of 91 clones demonstrated that there was no preference for the usage of a certain J H gene segment, whereas a preference for usage of D H family genes, DXP and DLR, was seen in most cases during early fetal life. This is the first study where rearranged α heavy chain genes in fetal liver have been characterized. Our data suggest that the usage of J H genes is random, while there is a preference for D H family genes in human fetal liver.