Estrogen influences the differentiation, proliferation, and survival of early B-lineage precursors

Abstract

B lymphocyte production in murine bone marrow is negatively regulated by sex steroids and the aim of this study was to identify early hormone sensitive checkpoints. Estrogen (E2) treatment reduced cμ+ pre-B cells, a change that occurred concomitantly with decreased Ig gene rearrangements and rag-1 transcripts. Estrogen decreased B lineage precursors in Ig transgenic mice, demonstrating that resistant to estrogen treatment, suggestIng that life/death decisions are involved in hormonal regulation. A previously uncharacterized population of CD43-cμ- B lineage precursors was identified in normal, Ig transgenic, and RAG(-/-) mice after estrogen treatment, revealing that down-regulation of CD43 ca..