Lineage specification and plasticity in CD19(−) early B cell precursors

We describe here three CD19(−) B cell precursor populations in mouse bone marrow identified using 12-color flow cytometry. Cell transfer experiments indicate lineage potentials consistent with multilineage progenitor (MLP), common lymphoid progenitor (CLP), and B lineage–restricted pre-pro–B (Fr. A), respectively. However, single cell in vitro assays reveal lineage plasticity: lymphoid/myeloid lineage potential for CLP and B/T lineage potential for Fr. A. Despite myeloid potential, recombination activating gene 2 reporter activation is first detected at low levels in most MLP cells, with 95% of CLPs showing 10-fold increased levels. Furthermore, single cell analysis shows that half of CLP and 90% of Fr. A cells contain heavy chain DJ rearrangements. These data, together with expression profiles of lineage-specific genes, demonstrate progressive acquisition of B lineage potential and support an asynchronous view of early B cell development, in which B lineage specification initiates in the MLP/CLP stage, whereas myeloid potential is not lost until the pre-pro–B (Fr. A) stage, and B/T lymphoid plasticity persists until the CD19(+) pro–B stage. Thus, MLP, CLP, and Fr. A represent progressively B lineage–specified stages in development, before the CD19(+) B lineage–committed pro–B stage.