Immunoglobulin gene locus events in epithelial cells of lactating mouse mammary glands

It has been believed that the immunoglobulin (Ig) found abundantly in the colostrum of lactating mammalian is derived from serum or secreted by plasma cells present in the mammary gland. The recent finding of Ig gene rearrangements in breast cancer cells and benign hyperplastic breast epithelial cells suggests that it is likely that hyperplastic mammary gland epithelial cells during lactation can also produce Ig. In this study, we have demonstrated the presence of abundant amounts of Ig heavy and light chain transcripts in sorted cytokeratin 18-positive mammary gland epithelial cells of lactating mice. Interestingly, we found two specific Igkappa variable region sequences (V(CW9)J(kappa1) and V(BV9)J(kappa1)) that were dominantly expressed in different strains of mice. Our data demonstrate that IgG is expressed by mammary gland epithelial cells of lactating mice, and suggest that the IgG found in murine colostrum is at least partially produced by the mammary gland epithelial cells.