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Differential G‐protein expression during B‐ and T‐cell development
Author(s) -
GRANT K. R.,
HARNETT W.,
MILLIGAN G.,
HARNETT M. M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1997.00196.x
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , b cell , alpha (finance) , germinal center , cellular differentiation , immunology , genetics , gene , antibody , medicine , construct validity , nursing , patient satisfaction
The molecular mechanisms underlying B‐ and T‐cell development are, as yet, poorly understood. However, as G proteins regulate a diverse range of biological responses including growth, proliferation and differentiation, we have investigated differential expression of G proteins during B‐ and T‐cell development with the aim of identifying key signals involved in lymphocyte maturation. Differential expression of β 1/2 and α ‐subunits of the Gs‐, i‐ and q‐families was found throughout lymphoid development. Most strikingly, G α i1 and G α 11 were very weakly, or not expressed in pre‐, immature and mature B cells, thymocytes or mature T cells, but strongly induced in mature B‐lymphoblastoid cell lines, some of which have been used as models of germinal centre B cells, suggesting that expression of these G proteins may correlate with the later stages of B‐cell development. In contrast, G α 16 expression was highest in T cells and pre‐B cells and progressively declined with B‐cell maturation. These findings suggest that G proteins, and the signals they regulate, such as ion channels and/or adenylate cyclase (G α s/i ) and phospholipase C (G β γ and G α 11/16 ) are differentially regulated in lymphoid cells in a maturation‐ and lineage‐dependent manner.