The Ig heavy chain intronic enhancer core region is necessary and sufficient to promote efficient class switch recombination.

The intronic IgH enhancer E(mu), which consists of the core enhancer (cE(mu) flanked by 5' and 3' matrix attachment regions (MAR), has been implicated in the control of IgH locus recombination and transcription. Both cE(mu) and the MAR are required to enhance transcription of an IgH transgene. To elucidate the regulatory functions of cE(mu) versus its associated MAR in IgH class switch recombination (CSR), we have assayed ES cell lines which have targeted deletions of these elements, both individually and in combination, by the Rag-2-deficient blastocyst complementation method. Mutant B cells from chimeric mice were activated in culture and the influence of the mutations on CSR was assessed by analysis of B cell hybridomas. We find that the cE(mu) is necessary and sufficient for providing the functions of E(mu) required for efficient CSR at the IgH locus. However, the 5' and 3' MAR sequences, as well as the known I(mu) transcription start sites and the bulk of I(mu) coding sequences, were dispensable for the process.