Early B-cell precursors in scid mice: Normal numbers of cells transformable with abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV)

• Published in: Cellular immunology Vol. 113; no. 1; pp. 192 - 201
• Main Authors: Fulop, G.M., Bosma, G.C., Bosma, M.J., Phillips, R.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 15.04.1988; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abelson murine leukemia virus; Animals; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Marrow - immunology; Bone Marrow - pathology; Cell Line, Transformed; Cell Transformation, Viral; Experimental and animal immunopathology. Animal models; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - immunology; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes - genetics; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes - immunology; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes - pathology; Immunopathology; Leukemia Virus, Murine; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocyte Activation; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Mutant Strains - immunology; Cell culture; Flow cytometry; Immunopathology; Oncovirinae; Rodentia; Retroviridae; B-Lymphocyte; Indirect immunofluorescence; Cell transformation; Precursor; Cell surface; Virus; Antigen; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Type C oncovirus; Bone marrow; Murine leukemia virus; Severe; Combined immune deficiency
• DOI: 10.1016/0008-8749(88)90017-2
• ISSN: 0008-8749

scid mice lack detectable B and T lymphocytes; there are no typical pre-B cells as defined by cμ and surface markers in their bone marrow and their thymus contains only 1% of the normal number of cells. In these characters scid mice seem to lack lymphoid stem cells. However, some mice have detectable serum immunoglobulin and others develop thymomas; both observations indicate that the block in lymphoid development is not absolute. To determine whether scid mice have any B-cell precursors, we looked for pre-B cells by their ability to be transformed by Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV). Surprisingly, scid mice contain as many B-cell precursors transformable with A-MuLV as normal control mice. Cell-surface markers specific for pre-B and B cells were detected on the A-MuLV-transformed bone marrow cells of both scid and normal mice, indicating that the A-MuLV-transformed cells belong to the B lineage. Interestingly, the same surface markers were undetectable on nontransformed scid bone marrow cells. We conclude from these results that scid mice have normal numbers of early B-cell precursors but that their differentiation into functional B cells is severely impaired.