The Role of the Pre-B Cell Receptor in B Cell Development, Repertoire Selection, and Tolerance

Front Immunol. 2018 Nov 15:9:2423. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02423. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Around four decades ago, it had been observed that there were cell lines as well as cells in the fetal liver that expressed antibody μ heavy (μH) chains in the apparent absence of bona fide light chains. It was thus possible that these cells expressed another molecule(s), that assembled with μH chains. The ensuing studies led to the discovery of the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR), which is assembled from Ig μH and surrogate light (SL) chains, together with the signaling molecules Igα and β. It is expressed on a fraction of pro-B (pre-BI) cells and most large pre-B(II) cells, and has been implicated in IgH chain allelic exclusion and down-regulation of the recombination machinery, assessment of the expressed μH chains and shaping the IgH repertoire, transition from the pro-B to pre-B stage, pre-B cell expansion, and cessation.

Keywords: B-cell development; VpreB; allelic exclusion; pre-B cells; surrogate light chain; λ-5.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology*
  • Clonal Selection, Antigen-Mediated*
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance* / genetics
  • Immunity, Humoral
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Light Chains, Surrogate / genetics
  • Ligands
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Pre-B Cell Receptors / genetics
  • Pre-B Cell Receptors / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / genetics
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains
  • Immunoglobulin Light Chains, Surrogate
  • Ligands
  • Pre-B Cell Receptors
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell