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Original Article |
Correspondence to: Toshitada Takemori, Department of Immunology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. Tel:81-3-5285-1156 Fax:81-3-5285-1156 E-mail:ttoshi{at}nih.go.jp.
Ras is essential for the transition from early B cell precursors to the pro-B stage, and is considered to be involved in the signal cascade mediated by pre-B cell antigen receptors. To examine the role of p21ras in the late stage of B cell differentiation, we established transgenic mice (TG) expressing a dominant-inhibitory mutant of Ha-ras (Asn-17 Ha-ras) in B lineage cells at high levels after the early B cell precursor stage. Expression of p21Asn-17 Ha-ras was associated with a prominent reduction in the number of late pre-B cells, but had little effect on proliferation of early pre-B cells. Inhibition of p21ras activity markedly reduced the life span of pre-B cells, due, at least in part, to downregulation of the expression of an antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-xL. Thus, the apparent role for p21ras activity in pre-B cell survival may explain the decreased numbers of late pre-B cells in Asn-17 Ha-ras TG. Consistent with this possibility, overexpression of Bcl-2 in Asn-17 Ha-ras TG reversed the reduction in the number of late pre-B cells undergoing immunoglobulin light chain gene (IgL) rearrangement and progressing to immature B cells. These results suggest that p21ras mediates effector pathways responsible for pre-B cell survival, which is essential for progression to the late pre-B and immature B stages.
Key Words: B cell development, life span, immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2
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