Pax5 is an essential transcription factor for B cell development, and it is reported that Pax5 expression was reduced in the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) knockout mouse. To investigate whether signals from the IL-7R regulate Pax5 transcription, we searched the consensus sequence of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) in the Pax5 promoter region, since STAT is one of the components of cytokine signal transduction. A STAT-binding motif, termed SBM, was identified at 1,118 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site, and SBM completely overlapped with the binding site for early B cell factor (EBF). STAT5 was phosphorylated in the presence of IL-7 in the IL-7-dependent preB cell line, PreBR1, and phosphorylated-STAT5 as well as EBF was found to bind to the SBM. Moreover, we also revealed STAT5 binding to SBM in PreBR1 cells by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Transient co-transfection of reporter genes together with expression vectors of a constitutive active form of STAT5 and EBF into NIH3T3 cells demonstrated that STAT5 enhanced EBFregulating transcription. Our results suggest that STAT5 phosphorylated by IL-7 can directly up-regulate Pax5 transcription in early B cells.

The function of the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) during B cell differentiation is not precisely defined. To investigate the pre-BCR receptor activity, we have established pre-BCR-positive pre-B cell lines that are able to differentiate into immature B cells in vitro. Antibody cross-linking of the pre-BCR induced apoptosis and differentiation accompanied with tyrosine phosphorylation. A specific tyrosine-phosphorylated 43 kDa protein (p43) was found down-stream of the pre-BCR. The results demonstrated the receptor function of pre-BCR, which indicates that a ligand-like molecule or a cross-linking structure on the cell surface is possibly present.

Many studies have shown that FcγRIIB is a negative regulator of B cell receptor signaling, and even though FcγRIIB is expressed through all developmental stages of the B cell lineage, its involvement in pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) signaling has not been examined. To investigate FcγRIIB function at the pre-B cell stage, we have established pre-BCR positive pre-B cell lines from normal mice and FcγRIIB-deficient mice, named PreBR and Fcγ−/−PreBR, respectively. These cell lines are able to differentiate into immature B cells in vitro by removal of IL-7. In PreBR, apoptosis was moderately induced by F(ab′)2 anti-μ Ab, but not by intact anti-μ Ab. Phosphorylation of SH2-containing inositol 5-phosphatase (SHIP) and Dok, which are involved in FcγRIIB signaling, was induced by anti-μ cross-linking in PreBR. In contrast, apoptosis was strongly induced by both the F(ab′)2 and intact anti-μ Abs in Fcγ−/−PreBR, and the level of phosphorylation of SHIP or Dok was much lower in Fcγ−/−PreBR than those observed in PreBR. Restoration of FcγRIIB to Fcγ−/−PreBR followed by anti-μ cross-linking blocked severe apoptosis, and up-regulated SHIP and Dok phosphorylation. The results demonstrate that FcγRIIB negatively regulates pre-BCR-mediated signaling for apoptosis.

Lambda5 associates with V(pre-B) to form the surrogate light (L) chain. The phenotype of lambda5 knockout mice showed severe impairment of B cell development from pro-B to immature B cell stages. To investigate the function of the surrogate L chain at this stage, we restored expression of lambda5 to lambda5-deficient pro-B cell lines which were established from bone marrow cells of lambda5 knockout mice in the presence of IL-7 and a stromal cell line. Some of these lines are severely impaired in B cell development from pro-B to immature B cell stages as is seen in vivo in lambda5 knockout mice. Restoration of lambda5 protein by retroviral-mediated gene transfer into established lambda5-deficient pro-B cell lines induced rearrangement of the Ig kappa L chain genes after removal of IL-7 from the culture. Immunoprecipitation revealed that the restored lambda5 in the cell line is coupled with V(pre-B) to form the surrogate L chain. The results demonstrate that formation of a complete surrogate L chain, consisting of both lambda5 and V(pre-B), stimulates efficient rearrangement of the kappa L chain genes.

TRANCE (TNF-related activation-induced cytokine)-deficient mice completely lack osteoclasts, and develop severe osteopetrosis. These mice also show a defect in their pre-B cell differentiation. In the present study, the expression of TRANCE was examined in pre-B cell lines using flow cytometry and reverse transcription-PCR. Three pre-B cell lines, 18-81, B 3 P 8 16-1, and 38B9, expressed TRANCE on their surface, and two pre-B cell lines, 70Z/3 and NFS5, at the late pre-B cell stage, expressed it at low levels, although their mRNA expression was normal. Another pre-B cell line, 38-C-13, at the intermediate stage between pre-B and immature B cells, did not express TRANCE. The IL-7-dependent pre-B cell line PreBR, which expresses the pre-B cell receptor on the cell surface, also expressed TRANCE. When differentiation of PreBR cells was induced in vitro by removing IL-7 from cultures, TRANCE expression dropped; it was restored by the addition of IL-7, suggesting that TRANCE functions in cooperation with IL-7. To examine the function of TRANCE, we introduced the TRANCE gene into PreBR cells and established two transfectants that constitutively expressed TRANCE, even in the absence of IL-7. In these transfectants, after removal of IL-7, the number of cells that succeeded in ‹ chain rearrangement was decreased to one third; and CD40 expression decreased to less than one tenth. Moreover, the percentage of cells in the S/G2/M phase was increased by 50% over the mock transfectant. These findings indicate that, before ‹ chain rearrangement occurs, TRANCE together with IL-7 induces pre-B cells to proliferate and makes this rearrangement more efficient.