Structure and expression of germline epsilon transcripts in human B cells induced by interleukin 4 to switch to IgE production.

作者：J F Gauchat, Deborah A. Lebman, Robert L. Coffman, Hugues Gascan, J E de Vries · 发表于：The Journal of Experimental Medicine · 年份：1990 · DOI：10.1084/jem.172.2.463 · 被引用次数：353 · 研究领域：T-cell and B-cell Immunology、Immune Cell Function and Interaction、Diabetes and associated disorders

Interleukin 4 (IL-4)-induced IgE production coincides with the appearance of the 2.2-kb productive epsilon-mRNA, but is preceded by synthesis of a 1.7-kb epsilon-RNA. Analysis of cDNA copies of the 5' end of this RNA indicated that the 1.7-kb epsilon-RNA is a germline epsilon immunoglobulin heavy chain transcript with an exon mapping 5' to the switch region. Transcription through switch regions has been implicated in the control of class switching. However, IL-4 or cloned CD4+ T cells were able to induce germline epsilon transcripts without inducing IgE synthesis, for which both signals were required. These results indicate that induction of human germline epsilon-RNA does not necessarily result in IgE synthesis, and that additional regulatory mechanisms are involved in class switching.