Interleukin-7 and Immunosenescence

Figure 3

Schematic of B lymphopoiesis in the bone marrow. The presence of various cell-surface markers is indicated in parallel with each stage in the development of B cells. Among these, IL-7 is important in early B cell differentiation because it promotes the commitment of CLP to the B-lineage. It also acts in concert with transcription factors to regulate immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in the pro-B cell and early pre-B cell stages. Early pre-B cells express IL-7Rα until V-DJ rearrangement is complete. Successfully rearranged cells then proliferate in response to IL-7 and other cytokines.