Igh and Igk loci use different folding principles for V gene recombination due to distinct chromosomal architectures of pro-B and pre-B cells
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ABSTRACT: Extended loop extrusion across the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (Igh) locus facilitates VH-DJH recombination in pro-B cells by aligning the VH and DJH segments for RAG-mediated cleavage. This cohesin-mediated process, resulting in global changes of the chromosome architecture in pro-B cells, depends on a 3-fold downregulation of the cohesin-release factor Wapl by Pax5-induced repression of the Wapl promoter. Here, we demonstrate that chromatin looping and VK-JK recombination at the Igk locus was insensitive to a 3-fold Wapl increase in pre-B cells. Given the equally low Wapl mRNA levels in pro-B and pre-B cells, the Wapl protein was unexpectedly expressed at a 2.2-fold higher level in pre-B cells compared to pro-B cells, which resulted in a distinct chromosomal architecture with normalized loop sizes in pre-B cells. High-resolution analysis of the Igk locus identified multiple internal loops, which likely juxtapose VK and JK elements to facilitate VK-JK recombination. The higher Wapl expression in Igm-transgenic pre-B cells prevented extended loop extrusion at the Igh locus, leading to recombination of only the 6 most 3’ proximal VH genes and to allelic exclusion of all other VH genes in pre-B cells. Hence, the different chromosomal architectures in pro-B and pre-B cells forced the Igh and Igk loci to assume distinct folding principles to undergo V gene recombination.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE210289 | GEO | 2023/01/15
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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