Lack of N regions in fetal and neonatal mouse immunoglobulin V-D-J junctional sequences.

Full Abstract

Much of T and B lymphocyte receptor diversity derives from the addition of nontemplated N regions at the junctions of receptor gene elements, although fetal T cells expressing gamma/delta receptors lack N regions. I have sequenced immunoglobulin H chain variable regions of PCR-amplified DNA and cDNA from fetal and newborn mouse liver and spleen cells. These sequences showed an absence of N regions. Only 1/87 DNA sequences and 17/146 RNA sequences contained N regions, in striking contrast to adult Ig sequences. These data show that N region insertion is a developmentally regulated process in B cells as well as in T cells, and demonstrate that receptor diversity in neonatal B cells is limited by the absence of N regions as well as by biased usage of Vh genes.

Author information

Author/s: Feeney, A J (AJ);

Affiliation: Division of Immunology, Medical Biology Institute, La Jolla, California 92037.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: The Journal of experimental medicine (J Exp Med), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1990-Nov; vol 172 (issue 5) : pp 1377-90

Dates: Created 1990/12/06; Completed 1990/12/06; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 1700054, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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