Abstract

Almost all somatic cells in adult murine tissues express all three nuclear lamins (A, B, C). Here we demonstrate that cells of the hemopoietic system of the adult mouse are an exception in that they express only lamin B. Thus T and B lymphocytes as well as granulocytes and monocytic cells directly isolated from spleen, thymus, blood or bone marrow do not express lamin A/C but only lamin B. In agreement with this observation the murine hemopoietic cell lines EL4, BW5147, HK22, 70Z/3, SP2/0 and PAI express only lamin B. In immunoblotting experiments used to confirm the immunofluorescence data no lamin A/C expression was detected. However, we noticed that murine lamin B occurs in two isoforms, which can be distinguished immunologically. These results reinforce the idea that a functional nuclear lamina can be formed from lamin B alone. They also pose the question of whether cells lacking lamin A/C are more plastic in their developmental programs than those that express all three lamins.