Figure 3

Deletion of 3H9 B cells occurs in the bone marrow and is not further affected by BAFF-R-Ig. (A, B) Ratio of GFP⁺ B cells to GFP⁺ non-B cells in bone marrow subsets shows deletion occurring at the pre-B cell stage in the 3H9 chimeras. Further deletion occurred between pre-B cells and recirculating B cells (Imm, Immature; Trans, transitional; Recirc, recirculating). (C, D) Ratio of GFP⁺ B cells: GFP⁺ T cells in spleens shows no further deletion after the T1 stage and no difference between 3H9 untreated and BAFF-R-Ig-treated chimeras. n = 4–8 per group; symbols show comparisons of ratios of BAFF-R-Ig-treated mice with those of wild-type counterparts: *p < 0.05, †p < 0.01, compared with wild-type chimeras. (E) Downregulation of sIgM as assessed by the ratio of sIgM on GFP⁺ follicular B cells: sIgM on GFP⁻ follicular B cells occurs in all the 3H9 chimeras and is not altered by BAFF-R-Ig treatment. (F) Overrepresentation of 3H9 B cells among GC B cells in 3H9 chimeras, as assessed by the ratio of GFP⁺ GC cells: GFP⁻ GC cells is not influenced by BAFF-R-Ig treatment.