We are grateful to the Martin laboratory for helpful discussions. This publication is supported by a grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (MOP-89783). A.M. is supported by a Canada Research Chair Tier II Award.

Step I: Isolation of splenic B cells via magnetic enrichment
<ol>
 <li>Experimental mice should be aged 8-12 weeks to ensure full maturation of the immune system.</li>
 <li>Euthanize the mouse by cervical dislocation and soak in 70% ethanol. Surgically remove the spleen by making an incision through the skin and muscle of the left hypochondrium of the abdomen and cut it into three large pieces in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Ensure all tools and reagents are sterile.</li>
 <li>Using the rubber end o...

<ol>
	<li>Hodgkin, P. D., Lee, J. H., Lyons, A. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=B+cell+differentiation+and+isotype+switching+is+related+to+division+cycle+number.">B cell differentiation and isotype switching is related to division cycle number.</a> J Exp Med. 184, 277-281 (1996).</li><li>McCall, M. N., Hodgkin, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Switch+recombination+and+germ-line+transcription+are+division-regulated+events+in+B+lymphocytes.">Switch recombination and germ-line transcription are division-regulated events in B lymphocytes.</a> Biochim Biophys Acta. 1447, 43-50 (1999).</li><li>Manis, J. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=53BP1+links+DNA+damage-response+pathways+to+immunoglobulin+heavy+chain+class-switch+recombination.">53BP1 links DNA damage-response pathways to immunoglobulin heavy chain class-switch recombination.</a> Nat Immunol. 5, 481-487 (2004).</li><li>de Yebenes, V. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=miR-181b+negatively+regulates+activation-induced+cytidine+deaminase+in+B+cells.">miR-181b negatively regulates activation-induced cytidine deaminase in B cells.</a> J Exp Med. 205, 2199-2206 (2008).</li><li>McBride, K. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Regulation+of+class+switch+recombination+and+somatic+mutation+by+AID+phosphorylation.">Regulation of class switch recombination and somatic mutation by AID phosphorylation.</a> J Exp Med. 205, 2585-2594 (2008).</li><li>Ramachandran, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+RNF8/RNF168+ubiquitin+ligase+cascade+facilitates+class+switch+recombination.">The RNF8/RNF168 ubiquitin ligase cascade facilitates class switch recombination.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 107, 809-8014 (2010).</li><li>Zaheen, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=AID+constrains+germinal+center+size+by+rendering+B+cells+susceptible+to+apoptosis.">AID constrains germinal center size by rendering B cells susceptible to apoptosis.</a> Blood. 114, 547-554 (2009).</li><li>Chaudhuri, J., Alt, F. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Class-switch+recombination:+interplay+of+transcription,+DNA+deamination+and+DNA+repair.">Class-switch recombination: interplay of transcription, DNA deamination and DNA repair.</a> Nat Rev Immunol. 4, 541-552 (2004).</li><li>Kaminski, D. A., Stavnezer, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stimuli+that+enhance+IgA+class+switching+increase+histone+3+acetylation+at+S+alpha,+but+poorly+stimulate+sequential+switching+from+IgG2b.">Stimuli that enhance IgA class switching increase histone 3 acetylation at S alpha, but poorly stimulate sequential switching from IgG2b.</a> Eur J Immunol. 37, 240-251 (2007).</li><li>Kaminski, D. A., Stavnezer, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Antibody+class+switching+differs+among+SJL,+C57BL/6+and+129+mice.">Antibody class switching differs among SJL, C57BL/6 and 129 mice.</a> Int Immunol. 19, 545-556 (2007).</li></ol>

No conflicts of interest declared.

The protocol outlined above provides a standard assay to analyze AID expression and function during the class switching of primary murine B cells. This protocol uses bacterial LPS to induce switching from IgM to IgG3, although modifications to the stimulation media can be made to induce switching to other isotypes (summarized in Table 1 8, 9).
We have noted that, for as yet unknown reasons, fetal calf serum can affect the level of class switching observed in vitro. It is crucial th...

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		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Phosphate Buffered Saline</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>14190</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>EasySep Mouse B Cell Enrichment Kit</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Stemcell Technologies</td>
<td>19754</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Polystyrene tubes</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Becton Dickinson Falcon</td>
<td>352058</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Bovine Serum Albumin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
<td>A7030</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>CellTrace CFSE Cell Proliferation Kit</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>C34554</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Bovine Calf Serum</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>HyClone</td>
<td>SH30072.03</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>RPMI 1640 Culture Medium</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>11875</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
<td>L6529</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>&beta;-mercaptoethanol</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Gibco</td>
<td>21985</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>HyClone</td>
<td>SH30396.03</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Normal Mouse Serum</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Jackson ImmunoResearch</td>
<td>011-000</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Purified Rat Anti-Mouse CD16/CD32 (Mouse BD Fc Block)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Becton Dickinson Pharmingen</td>
<td>553141</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Rat Anti-Mouse IgG3</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Becton Dickinson Pharmingen</td>
<td>553401</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

induction and assessment of class switch recombination in purified murine b cells

Humoral immunity is the branch of the immune system maintained by B cells and mediated through the secretion of antibodies. Upon B cell activation, the immunoglobulin locus undergoes a series of genetic modifications to alter the binding capacity and effector function of secreted antibodies. This process is highlighted by a genomic recombination event known as class switch recombination (CSR) in which the default IgM antibody isotype is substituted for one of IgG, IgA, or IgE. Each isotype possesses distinct effector functions thereby making CSR crucial to the maintenance of immunity. Diversification of the immunoglobulin locus is mediated by the enzyme activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). A schematic video describing this process in detail is available online (http://video.med.utoronto.ca/videoprojects/immunology/aam.html). AID's activity and the CSR pathway are commonly studied in the assessment of B cell function and humoral immunity in mice. The protocol outlined in this report presents a method of B cell isolation from murine spleens and subsequent stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce class switching to IgG3 (for other antibody isotypes see Table 1). In addition, the fluorescent cell staining dye Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) is used to monitor cell division of stimulated cells, a process crucial to isotype switching 1, 2. The regulation of AID and the mechanism by which CSR occurs are still unclear and thus in vitro class switch assays provide a reliable method for testing these processes in various mouse models. These assays have been previously used in the context of gene deficiency using knockout mice 3. Furthermore, in vitro switching of B cells can be preceded by viral transduction to modulate gene expression by RNA knockdown or transgene expression 4-6. The data from these types of experiments have impacted our understanding of AID activity, resolution of the CSR reaction, and antibody-mediated immunity in the mouse.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Induction and Assessment of Class Switch Recombination in Purified Murine B Cells at JoVE.com

Induction and Assessment of Class Switch Recombination in Purified Murine B Cells

Following antigen exposure, subpopulations of activated B cells undergo a process known as class switch recombination (CSR) to produce antibody isotypes with distinct effector functions. The protocol outlined in this report explains how CSR can be induced and analyzed in vitro for the purposes of studying B cell function.

Humoral immunity is the branch of the immune system maintained by B cells and mediated through the secretion of antibodies. Upon B cell activation, the ...

induction-assessment-class-switch-recombination-purified-murine-b

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Immunology and Infection

18.0K Views.  University of Toronto. A seguito di esposizione agli antigeni, sottopopolazioni di cellule B attivate subire un processo noto come ricombinazione interruttore classe (CSR) per la produzione di anticorpi isotipi con distinte funzioni effettrici. Il protocollo descritto in questo rapporto spiega come la RSI può essere indotta e analizzati In vitro Al fine di studiare la funzione delle cellule B.