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Updated: Aug 2, 2026
Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization
Published on: February 3, 2013
Rearrangement and expression of immunoglobulin light chain genes can precede heavy chain expression during normal B
T I Novobrantseva1, V M Martin, R Pelanda
1Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne,Weyertal 121, 50931 Cologne, Germany. ntanya@mac.genetik.umi-koeln.de
Abstract:
In mouse mutants incapable of expressing mu chains, VkappaJkappa joints are detected in the CD43(+) B cell progenitors. In agreement with these earlier results, we show by a molecular single cell analysis that 4-7% of CD43(+) B cell progenitors in wild-type mice rearrange immunoglobulin (Ig)kappa genes before the assembly of a productive VHDHJH joint. Thus, mu chain expression is not a prerequisite to Igkappa light chain gene rearrangements in normal development. Overall, approximately 15% of the total CD43(+) B cell progenitor population carry Igkappa gene rearrangements in wild-type mice. Together with the results obtained in the mouse mutants, these data fit a model in which CD43(+) progenitors rearrange IgH and Igkappa loci independently, with a seven times higher frequency in the former. In addition, we show that in B cell progenitors VkappaJkappa joining rapidly initiates kappa chain expression, irrespective of the presence of a mu chain.
