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B cell development and immunoglobulin gene transcription in the absence of Oct-2 and OBF-1

Nature Immunology volume 2, pages 69–74 (2001)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 01 September 2006

This article has been updated

Abstract

Oct-2 and OBF-1 (also called OCA-B or Bob-1) are B cell–specific transcription factors that bind to the conserved octamer site of immunoglobulin promoters, yet their role in immunoglobulin transcription has remained unclear. We generated mice in which the lymphoid compartment was reconstituted with cells that lack both Oct-2 and OBF-1. Even in the absence of these two transcription factors, B cells develop normally to the membrane immunoglobulin M–positive (IgM+) stage and immunoglobulin gene transcription is essentially unaffected. These observations imply that the ubiquitous factor Oct-1 plays a previously unrecognized role in the control of immunoglobulin gene transcription and suggest the existence of another, as yet unidentified, cofactor. In addition, both factors are essential for germinal center formation, although OBF-1 is more important than Oct-2 for IgG production after immunization.

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Figure 1: Early B cell development is normal in Oct-2−/− OBF-1−/− mice.
Figure 2: IgM+ B cells are present in the spleens of double mutant mice.
Figure 3: Serum antibody titers in nonimmunized or immunized repopulated mice.
Figure 4: Germinal center formation is impaired in mutant mice.
Figure 5: In vitro proliferative responses of B cells from repopulated animals.
Figure 6: Largely normal transcription of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain genes.
Figure 7: Model for the role of factors that interact with the octamer site in B cells.

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Change history

  • 10 August 2006

    In the version of this article initially published, the Oct-2-/- plot in the second row of Figure 1a is incorrect. The correct plot is provided. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

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Acknowledgements

We thank lab members and S. Junker (Aarhus) for discussions, B. Bartholdy for help with the figures and Y. Nagamine for critical reading of the manuscript. The Basel Institute for Immunology was founded and is supported by F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland.

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Author notes

  1. Daniel Schubart

    Present address: Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG, Am Klopferspitz 19, D-82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany

  2. Karin Schubart and Antonius G. Rolink: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Friedrich Miescher Institute, Maulbeerstr. 66, Basel, CH-4058, Switzerland

    Karin Schubart, Steffen Massa, Daniel Schubart & Patrick Matthias

  2. The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, P. O. Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia

    Lynn M. Corcoran

  3. Basel Institute for Immunology, Grenzacherstr. 487, Basel, CH-4005, Switzerland

    Antonius G. Rolink

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Correspondence to Patrick Matthias.

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Schubart, K., Massa, S., Schubart, D. et al. B cell development and immunoglobulin gene transcription in the absence of Oct-2 and OBF-1. Nat Immunol 2, 69–74 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/83190

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