ZAP-70 upregulation in transformed B cells after early pre-BI cell transplant into NOD/SCID mice.

Understanding of the signal transduction pathways that lead to B cell development is of extreme interest to learn how alterations in these pathways might initiate malignant transformation. Long-term cultured early pre-BI cells can differentiate into IgM+ B cells after transplant into NOD/SCID mice, offering the possibility to explore checkpoints in B cell development. Using DNA microarray and Western blot analysis of IgM+ B cells vs parental early pre-BI cells, we demonstrated that zeta-associated protein 70 (ZAP-70) is upregulated in our B cell differentiation model. Unlike parental ZAP-70- early pre-BI cells, ZAP-70+ IgM+ B cells exhibited a transformed phenotype, as indicated by BCL-6 expression, a high Ki-67 proliferation index, resistance to IL-7 deprivation-induced apoptosis, and an increased repopulation rate in NOD/SCID mice. These data show the characterization and generation of a novel murine leukemia model with many similarities to human ZAP-70+ B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.