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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Immunol Rev. 2014 Sep;261(1):126–140. doi: 10.1111/imr.12209

Fig. 2. B cells develop from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow.

Fig. 2

This schematic demonstrates a linear progression of B-cell development from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow into functional B cells in the periphery. Lymphoid primed multipotent progenitors (LMPP) and common lymphoid progenitors (CLP) retain the potential to differentiate into other cell lineages. Expression of B-cell-specific transcription factors promote commitment to the B-cell lineage (as indicated above). Rearrangements of the DH to JH Igh loci occur in early pro-B cells and rearrangements of the VH to DJH locus occur in late pro-B cells. Rearrangements of the VL to JL of the Igk and Igl locus occur in large pre-B cells. After the small pre-B stage, B cells transition to an immature (Imm) B-cell stage and to a mature (Mat) B-cell stage in the bone marrow. B cells can migrate to the periphery and, upon antigen stimulation, can form germinal centers (GC) in peripheral lymphoid organs and can terminally differentiate into antibody-secreting plasma cells. Red arrows in this diagram indicate where components of the Mi-2/NuRD chromatin remodeling complex impede B cell development. Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4), Metastasis-associated factor 3 (MTA3), Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1).