Processing of switch transcripts is required for targeting of antibody class switch recombination

Antibody class switching is mediated by somatic recombination between switch regions of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene locus. Targeting of recombination to particular switch regions is strictly regulated by cytokines through the: induction of switch transcripts starting 5' of the repetitive switch regions. However, switch transcription as such is not sufficient to target switch recombination. This has been shown in mutant mice, in which the I-exon and its promoter upstream of the switch region wt rr replaced with heterologous promoters. Here we show that, in the murine germline targeted replacement of the endogenous gamma 1 promoter, I-exon, and I-exon splice donor site by heterologous promoter and splice donor sites directs switch recombination in activated B lymphocytes constitutively to the gamma 1 switch region. In contrast, switch recombination to IgG1 is inhibited in mutant mice, in which the replacement does riot include the heterologous splice donor rite. Our data unequivocally demonstrate that targeting of switch recombination to IgG1 in vivo requires processing of the I gamma 1 switch transcripts, either the processing machinery or the processed transcripts are involved in class switch recombination.