Open AccessImmunoglobulin x light chain gene promoter and enhancer are not responsible for B-cell restricted gene rearrangement
Author(s) -
Michèle Goodhardt,
C. Babinet,
Georges Lutfalla,
Sacha Kallenbach,
Patricia Cavelier,
François Rougeon
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/17.18.7403
Subject(s) - biology , enhancer , microbiology and biotechnology , transgene , gene , gene rearrangement , immunoglobulin gene , immunoglobulin light chain , immunoglobulin heavy chain , genetically modified mouse , locus (genetics) , recombination signal sequences , gene expression , recombination , recombination activating gene , antibody , genetics
We have produced transgenic mice which synthesize chimeric mouse-rabbit immunoglobulin (Ig) kappa light chains following in vivo recombination of an injected unrearranged kappa gene. The exogenous gene construct contained a mouse germ-line kappa variable (V kappa) gene segment, the mouse germ-line joining (J kappa) locus including the enhancer, and the rabbit b9 constant (C kappa) region. A high level of V-J recombination of the kappa transgene was observed in spleen of the transgenic mice. Surprisingly, a particularly high degree of variability in the exact site of recombination and the presence of non germ-line encoded nucleotides (N-regions) were found at the V-J junction of the rearranged kappa transgene. Furthermore, unlike endogenous kappa genes, rearrangement of the exogenous gene occurred in T-cells of the transgenic mice. These results show that additional sequences, other than the heptamer-nonamer signal sequences and the promoter and enhancer elements, are required to obtain stage- and lineage- specific regulation of Ig kappa light chain gene rearrangement in vivo.