PreB
PreB, or pre-B cell, refers to a defined stage in B lymphocyte development that occurs in the bone marrow. It follows the pro-B cell stage and precedes the immature B cell stage. At this point, B cells have rearranged the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene and express the μ heavy chain in combination with a surrogate light chain to form the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR). Signaling through the pre-BCR promotes clonal expansion, enforces allelic exclusion of heavy chain genes, and initiates the next phase of development, which is light chain rearrangement.
Development and lineage progression hinge on the formation of the pre-BCR. The receptor comprises the μ heavy
Phenotype and markers are used to identify pre-B cells in research and clinical contexts. Pre-B cells typically
Clinical relevance centers on the pre-B cell stage as the cell of origin for certain leukemias, notably