IGH analysis in pro-B cells with H3K4me3, H3K4me2 and H3K9ac

STAT5 and IL-7 signaling are thought to control B-lymphopoiesis by regulating key transcription factor genes and activating VH gene segments at the Igh locus. Using conditional mutagenesis, we demonstrate that transgenic Bcl2 expression rescued the development of Stat5-deleted pro-B cells by compensating for the loss of Mcl-1. Ebf1 and Pax5 expression as well as VH recombination were normal in Bcl2-rescued pro-B cells lacking STAT5 or IL-7Ra. In agreement with this finding, STAT5-expressing pro-B cells contained little or no active chromatin at most VH genes. In contrast, Igk rearrangements were increased in STAT5- or IL-7Ra-deficient pro-B cells, consistent with direct binding of STAT5 to the intronic iEk enhancer in wild-type pro-B cells. Hence, STAT5 and IL-7 signaling control cell survival and suppress premature Igk recombination in early B-lymphopoiesis. comparison of wt vs Rag2-/- pro-B cells