Constitutive expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in transgenic mice is sufficient for N region diversity to occur at any Ig locus throughout B cell differentiation

N region diversity in Ag receptors is a developmentally regulated process in B and T cells that correlates with the differential expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT). Absent in fetal and newborn mice, TdT expression is restricted to early T and pro-B cells in adults. To extend the TdT expression pattern throughout B cell ontogenesis, we generated transgenic mice carrying a TdT cDNA under the regulatory elements of the N-myc gene and the IgH enhancer. High expression was observed in secondary lymphoid organs consistent with TdT activity beyond the pre-B cell stage. This suggests that TdT transgene expression is not down-regulated as is the endogenous gene. Unlike normal mice, extensive N region diversity was found in rearranged lambda light chain genes of adult transgenic animals. Therefore, expression of TdT appears sufficient for N region diversity to occur at any Ig locus. More importantly, expression of the transgene takes place during fetal development. As a consequence, the potential fetal B cell repertoire is modified as both rearranged heavy and light chain genes now show N region additions. Constitutive expression of TdT throughout B cell differentiation does not therefore appear deleterious and suggests that TdT is recruited only to participate in the V(D)J recombination process.

Constitutive expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in transgenic mice is sufficient for N region diversity to occur at any Ig locus throughout B cell differentiation

N region diversity in Ag receptors is a developmentally regulated process in B and T cells that correlates with the differential expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT). Absent in fetal and newborn mice, TdT expression is restricted to early T and pro-B cells in adults. To extend the TdT expression pattern throughout B cell ontogenesis, we generated transgenic mice carrying a TdT cDNA under the regulatory elements of the N-myc gene and the IgH enhancer. High expression was observed in secondary lymphoid organs consistent with TdT activity beyond the pre-B cell stage. This suggests that TdT transgene expression is not down-regulated as is the endogenous gene. Unlike normal mice, extensive N region diversity was found in rearranged lambda light chain genes of adult transgenic animals. Therefore, expression of TdT appears sufficient for N region diversity to occur at any Ig locus. More importantly, expression of the transgene takes place during fetal development. As a consequence, the potential fetal B cell repertoire is modified as both rearranged heavy and light chain genes now show N region additions. Constitutive expression of TdT throughout B cell differentiation does not therefore appear deleterious and suggests that TdT is recruited only to participate in the V(D)J recombination process.

The two isoforms of mouse terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase differ in both the ability to add N regions and subcellular localization

Two alternatively spliced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase transcripts, TdTS and TdTL which code respectively for proteins of 509 and 529 amino acids have been previously identified in the mouse thymus. Here we show that the same two transcripts are also present in B lineage cells from bone marrow. In addition we demonstrate that the corresponding 20 amino acid insertion found near the carboxy-terminal end of TdTL significantly alters the function of the enzyme. In contrast to TdTS, TdTL does not catalyse N region insertions at the recombination junction of a V(D)J site-specific recombination substrate. In an attempt to explain the lack of N region insertions we have characterized the different parameters which distinguish the two isoforms of TdT. Examination of transfected cell extracts revealed a reduced capacity of TdTL to add nucleotides to the 3' end of DNA, consistent with a lower terminal transferase activity. Furthermore, the half-life of the TdTL protein in these cells is 2-fold shorter than that of TdTS. Finally, despite the fact that TdTL has the same nuclear localization signal as TdTS, the cellular localization of the two isoforms was strikingly different. In contrast to nuclear TdTS, TdTL was found exclusively in the cytoplasm. All these characteristics could contribute to the functional difference between the two isoforms of TdT. However, the subcellular localization of TdTL on its own can account for its inability to add N regions.

Differential splicing in mouse thymus generates two forms of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase

A new form of TdT mRNA has been identified by screening a mouse thymus cDNA library. It contains an open reading frame of 1527 base pairs corresponding to a protein containing 509 aminoacids, whereas the previously identified mouse TdT mRNA is composed of 1587 base pairs and encodes a protein of 529 aminoacids. Analysis of a mouse genomic clone containing the 3' portion of the TdT gene shows that these twenty additional aminoacids are encoded by an additional exon located between exons X and XI. Both forms of TdT mRNA are present in the thymus and could be generated by alternative splicing. The cDNA reported here corresponds to the major form of TdT mRNA in Balb/c mice and closely resembles human and bovine TdT cDNA. Expression of this cDNA in mammalian cells shows that it encodes a functional protein capable of catalysing N region insertions at the recombination junction of an episomic recombination substrate.

Three lymphoid-specific factors account for all junctional diversity characteristic of somatic assembly of T-cell receptor and immunoglobulin genes

The somatic diversity immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor diversity is largely provided by the junctional variation created during site-specific rearrangement of separately encoded gene segments. Using a transient transfection assay, we demonstrate that the recombination activating genes Rag1 and Rag2 direct site-specific rearrangement on an artificial substrate in poorly differentiated as well as in differentiated nonlymphoid cell lines. In addition to a high frequency of precise recombination events, coding joints show deletions and more rarely P-nucleotide insertions, reminiscent of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor junctions found in fetal tissues. N-region insertions, which are characteristic of adult junctional diversity, are obtained at high frequency upon transfection of a terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase expression vector together with Rag1 and Rag2. These results show that only three lymphoid-specific factors are needed to generate all types of junctional diversity observed during lymphoid development.

Demonstration of a divergent transcript from the bidirectional heavy chain immunoglobulin promoter VH441 in B-cells

The mouse heavy chain immunoglobulin promoter VH441 can lead in vitro to bidirectional transcription, due to a symmetrical organization of immunoglobulin heavy chain promoters with two TATA-like sequences bracketing the upstream promoter element ATGCAAAT (the so called octamer). We demonstrate here that divergent transcription also occurs in vivo in mature B cells from a myeloma which expresses the VH441 gene and even from the spleen of BALB/c mice. The level of VH441 divergent transcript increases in the spleen of BALB/c mice after immunisation by beta-(1,6)-galactan, showing that it is expressed in B cells which actively transcribe the VH441 gene. The divergent transcript has been characterized: its major transcription start site was mapped within 33 base pairs from the divergent TATA-like region, it is unspliced and not polyadenylated. In the light of these results, the functions of the divergent transcript and the bidirectional promoter are discussed.