Expression of Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain at a High Level in the Absence of a Proposed Immunoglobulin Enhancer Element in cis

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 81; no. 8; pp. 2452 - 2455
• Main Authors: Wabl, Matthias R., Burrows, Peter D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01-04-1984; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Alleles; Animals; Base Sequence; Cell Line; Cell lines; Clone Cells; DNA - genetics; DNA probes; DNA Restriction Enzymes; Enhancer elements; Feeder cells; Flow Cytometry; Genes; Hybridomas; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains - genetics; Immunoglobulin mu-Chains - genetics; Immunoglobulins; Introns; Messenger RNA; Mice; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Plasma cells; RNA, Messenger - genetics
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.81.8.2452

The major intron between the J and C gene segments of the immunoglobulin heavy (H) chain locus contains an enhancer-like sequence, and it has been proposed that this enhancer is necessary to achieve high levels of H chain expression. We have isolated a subclone of the lymphoid pre-B cell line 18-81 that lacks this enhancer but nevertheless produces μ chain at the level characteristic of pre-B cells. Another subclone with a larger deletion does not produce μ chain, but upon fusion with a myeloma that does not produce any immunoglobulin chain, μ chain is expressed by the homolog from the pre-B subclone. The hybridoma lacks the proposed enhancer element in cis; nevertheless it produces as much μ chain as other plasma cell hybridomas. Therefore, this enhancer element is not obligatory for a high level of H chain production.