1. Subnuclear compartmentalization of immunoglobulin loci during lymphocyte development. (Reports)
- Author
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Kosak, Steven T., Skok, Jane A., Medina, Kay L., Riblet, Roy, Le Beau, Michelle M., Fisher, Amanda G., and Singh, Harinder
- Subjects
Genetic aspects ,Reports ,Lymphocytes -- Genetic aspects -- Reports ,Genetic research -- Reports -- Genetic aspects ,Cytological research -- Reports -- Genetic aspects ,Immunoglobulins -- Genetic aspects -- Reports ,Cell research -- Reports -- Genetic aspects - Abstract
Constitutive heterochromatin and the nuclear periphery are the two major classes of transcriptionally repressive nuclear subcompartments. Evidence from studies in Drosophila and mammals suggests that the organization of genes into [...], Immunoglobulin (Ig) loci are selectively activated for transcription and rearrangement during B lymphocyte development. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we show that Ig heavy (H) and Igκ loci are preferentially positioned at the nuclear periphery in hematopoietic progenitors and pro-T cells but are centrally configured in pro-B nuclei. The inactive loci at the periphery do not associate with centromeric heterochromatin. Upon localization away from the nuclear periphery in pro-B cells, the IgH locus appears to undergo large-scale compaction. We suggest that subnuclear positioning represents a novel means of regulating transcription and recombination of IgH and IgΚ loci during lymphocyte development.
- Published
- 2002