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. 1991 Sep 1;88(17):7528–7532. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.17.7528

Deletional switch recombination occurs in interleukin-4-induced isotype switching to IgE expression by human B cells.

S K Shapira 1, H H Jabara 1, C P Thienes 1, D J Ahern 1, D Vercelli 1, H J Gould 1, R S Geha 1
PMCID: PMC52334  PMID: 1881893

Abstract

There is controversy as to whether deletional rearrangement occurs between the IgM and IgE switch regions (S mu and S epsilon, respectively) during switching to the IgE isotype. We have addressed the issue by stimulating normal human B cells, sorted for lack of expression of surface IgE, to produce IgE by infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the presence of interleukin 4 (IL-4). Genomic DNA was amplified for S mu/S epsilon switch junction fragments by utilizing the nested-primer polymerase chain reaction. Switch junction fragments were amplified from B cells infected with EBV in the presence of IL-4 but not from B cells infected with EBV alone. The DNA sequence of these "switch fragments" revealed direct joining of S mu to S epsilon in each case. The recombination sites within S mu were clustered within 900 base pairs at the 5' end of the switch region, suggesting that there are "hot spots" for recombination within S mu. The S epsilon recombination sites were scattered throughout the S epsilon region. These findings indicate that IL-4-induced isotype switching to IgE production in human B cells is accompanied by DNA rearrangements with joining of S mu to S epsilon.

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Selected References

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