Open AccessAn enhancer associated with the mouse immunoglobin λf gene is specific for λ light chain producing cells
Author(s) -
Lè Thi BichThuy,
Cary Queen
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
nucleic acids research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 9.008
H-Index - 537
eISSN - 1362-4954
pISSN - 0305-1048
DOI - 10.1093/nar/17.13.5307
Subject(s) - enhancer , biology , enhancer rnas , immunoglobulin light chain , enhancer trap , gene , promoter , microbiology and biotechnology , immunoglobulin heavy chain , immunoglobulin gene , dna , antibody , genetics , gene expression
We have developed a system to study transcriptional regulation of the lambda immunoglobulin gene in a natural setting -- lambda light chain producing lymphoid cells. This assay system has allowed the detection of an enhancer element located 3' of the lambda gene coding sequence. The enhancer can stimulate transcription from the lambda promoter as well as from other immunoglobulin and unrelated promoters. Like all enhancers, the lambda enhancer can function in either orientation with respect to a promoter, but it is significantly more active in one orientation than in the other. The lambda enhancer is unusual in spanning at least 4000 bp of DNA sequence and containing several distinct subelements that have independent enhancer activity. The enhancer is also remarkable because it functions in lambda light chain producing cells but not in kappa chain producing cells. This fact can be interpreted to support a model of immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in which rearrangement follows and depends on transcriptional activation.