B cell development and immunoglobulin gene transcription in the absence of Oct-2 and OBF-1

Oct-2 and OBF-1 (also called OCA-B or Bob-1) are B cell-specific transcription factors that bind to the conserved octamer site of immunoglobulin promoters, yet their role in immunoglobulin transcription has remained unclear. We generated mice in which the lymphoid compartment was reconstituted with cells that lack both Oct-2 and OBF-1. Even in the absence of these two transcription factors, B cells develop normally to the membrane immunoglobulin M-positive (IgM+) stage and immunoglobulin gene transcription is essentially unaffected. These observations imply that the ubiquitous factor Oct-1 plays a previously unrecognized role in the control of immunoglobulin gene transcription and suggest the existence of another, as yet unidentified, cofactor. In addition, both factors are essential for germinal center formation, although OBF-1 is more important than Oct-2 for IgG production after immunization.