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The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1990 Sep 1;172(3):973–976. doi: 10.1084/jem.172.3.973

The products of pre-B cell-specific genes (lambda 5 and VpreB) and the immunoglobulin mu chain form a complex that is transported onto the cell surface

PMCID: PMC2188549  PMID: 2117639

Abstract

We constructed expression vectors coding for the two pre-B-specific genes, VpreB and lambda 5, and transfected them together with a mu vector (mu tm) into Ig- myeloma cells. In a transfectant expressing all three introduced genes, the mu tm chain is transported on the cell surface. A biochemical analysis demonstrated that, in these cells, the mu tm chain is associated noncovalently with an 18-kD protein and covalently with a 22-kD protein, which are most likely the products of VpreB and lambda 5, respectively. Our results, thus, strongly suggest that the products of lambda 5 and VpreB bind to mu chains and have the same capacity as conventional Ig L chains to allow surface expression of mu chains.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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