Activated Ras Signals Developmental Progression of Recombinase-activating Gene (RAG)-deficient Pro-B Lymphocytes

To elucidate the intracellular pathways that mediate early B cell development, we directed expression of activated Ras to the B cell lineage in the context of the recombination-activating gene 1 (RAG1)-deficient background (referred to as Ras–RAG). Similar to the effects of an immunoglobulin (Ig) μ heavy chain (HC) transgene, activated Ras caused progression of RAG1–deficient progenitor (pro)-B cells to cells that shared many characteristics with precursor (pre)-B cells, including downregulation of surface CD43 expression plus expression of λ5, RAG2, and germline κ locus transcripts. However, these Ras–RAG pre-B cells also upregulated surface markers characteristic of more mature B cell stages and populated peripheral lymphoid tissues, with an overall phenotype reminiscent of B lineage cells generated in a RAG- deficient background as a result of expression of an Ig μ HC together with a Bcl-2 transgene. Taken together, these findings suggest that activated Ras signaling in pro-B cells induces developmental progression by activating both differentiation and survival signals.