scholarly journals B-1a cells acquire their unique characteristics by bypassing the pre-BCR selection stage

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason B Wong ◽  
Susannah L Hewitt ◽  
Lynn M Heltemes-Harris ◽  
Malay Mandal ◽  
Kristen Johnson ◽  
...  

SUMMARYB-1a cells are long-lived, self-renewing innate like B cells that predominantly inhabit the peritoneal and pleural cavities. In contrast to conventional B-2 cells they have a receptor repertoire that is biased towards bacterial and self-antigens, promoting a rapid response to infection and clearing of apoptotic cells. Although B-1a cells are known to primarily originate from fetal tissues the mechanisms by which they arise has been a topic of debate for many years. Here we show that in the fetal liver (FL) versus bone marrow (BM) environment, reduced IL-7R/STAT5 levels promote immunoglobulin kappa (Igk) recombination at the early pro-B cell stage. As a result, B cells can directly generate a mature B cell receptor (BCR) and bypass the requirement for a pre-BCR and pairing with surrogate light chain (SLC). This ‘alternate pathway’ of development enables the production of B cells with self reactive, skewed specificity receptors that are peculiar to the B-1a compartment. Together our findings connect seemingly opposing models of B-1a cell development and explain how these cells acquire their unique properties.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason B. Wong ◽  
Susannah L. Hewitt ◽  
Lynn M. Heltemes-Harris ◽  
Malay Mandal ◽  
Kristen Johnson ◽  
...  

Abstract B-1a cells are long-lived, self-renewing innate-like B cells that predominantly inhabit the peritoneal and pleural cavities. In contrast to conventional B-2 cells, B-1a cells have a receptor repertoire that is biased towards bacterial and self-antigens, promoting a rapid response to infection and clearing of apoptotic cells. Although B-1a cells are known to primarily originate from fetal tissues, the mechanisms by which they arise has been a topic of debate for many years. Here we show that in the fetal liver versus bone marrow environment, reduced IL-7R/STAT5 levels promote immunoglobulin kappa gene recombination at the early pro-B cell stage. As a result, differentiating B cells can directly generate a mature B cell receptor (BCR) and bypass the requirement for a pre-BCR and pairing with surrogate light chain. This ‘alternate pathway’ of development enables the production of B cells with self-reactive, skewed specificity receptors that are peculiar to the B-1a compartment. Together our findings connect seemingly opposing lineage and selection models of B-1a cell development and explain how these cells acquire their unique properties.



2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Sun ◽  
Hu-Qin Yang ◽  
Kan Zhai ◽  
Zhao-Hui Tong

B cells play vital roles in host defense against Pneumocystis infection. However, the features of the B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire in disease progression remain unclear. Here, we integrated single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell BCR sequencing of immune cells from mouse lungs in an uninfected state and 1–4 weeks post-infection in order to illustrate the dynamic nature of B cell responses during Pneumocystis infection. We identified continuously increased plasma cells and an elevated ratio of (IgA + IgG) to (IgD + IgM) after infection. Moreover, Pneumocystis infection was associated with an increasing naïve B subset characterized by elevated expression of the transcription factor ATF3. The proportion of clonal expanded cells progressively increased, while BCR diversity decreased. Plasma cells exhibited higher levels of somatic hypermutation than naïve B cells. Biased usage of V(D)J genes was observed, and the usage frequency of IGHV9-3 rose. Overall, these results present a detailed atlas of B cell transcriptional changes and BCR repertoire features in the context of Pneumocystis infection, which provides valuable information for finding diagnostic biomarkers and developing potential immunotherapeutic targets.



Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 107 (12) ◽  
pp. 4898-4906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Hoelbl ◽  
Boris Kovacic ◽  
Marc A. Kerenyi ◽  
Olivia Simma ◽  
Wolfgang Warsch ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Stat5 transcription factors Stat5a and Stat5b have been implicated in lymphoid development and transformation. Most studies have employed Stat5a/b-deficient mice where gene targeting disrupted the first protein-coding exon, resulting in the expression of N-terminally truncated forms of Stat5a/b (Stat5a/bΔN/ΔN mice). We have now reanalyzed lymphoid development in Stat5a/bnull/null mice having a complete deletion of the Stat5a/b gene locus. The few surviving Stat5a/bnull/null mice lacked CD8+ T lymphocytes. A massive reduction of CD8+ T cells was also found in Stat5a/bfl/fllck-cre transgenic animals. While γδ T-cell receptor–positive (γδTCR+) cells were expressed at normal levels in Stat5a/bΔN/ΔN mice, they were completely absent in Stat5a/bnull/null animals. Moreover, B-cell maturation was abrogated at the pre–pro-B-cell stage in Stat5a/bnull/null mice, whereas Stat5a/bΔN/ΔN B-lymphoid cells developed to the early pro-B-cell stage. In vitro assays using fetal liver-cell cultures confirmed this observation. Most strikingly, Stat5a/bnull/null cells were resistant to transformation and leukemia development induced by Abelson oncogenes, whereas Stat5a/bΔN/ΔN-derived cells readily transformed. These findings show distinct lymphoid defects for Stat5a/bΔN/ΔN and Stat5a/bnull/null mice and define a novel functional role for the N-termini of Stat5a/b in B-lymphoid transformation.



Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (6) ◽  
pp. 2083-2090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Polli ◽  
Aleksandar Dakic ◽  
Amanda Light ◽  
Li Wu ◽  
David M. Tarlinton ◽  
...  

Abstract An abundance of research has entrenched the view that the Ets domain containing transcription factor PU.1 is fundamental to the development and function of B lymphocytes. In this study, we have made use of a conditional PU.1 allele to test this notion. Complete deletion of PU.1 resulted in the loss of B cells and all other lineage-positive cells in the fetal liver and death between E18.5 and birth; however, specific deletion of PU.1 in the B lineage had no effect on B-cell development. Furthermore, deletion of PU.1 in B cells did not compromise their ability to establish and maintain an immune response. An increased level of apoptosis was observed in vitro upon B-cell receptor (BCR) cross-linking; however, this was partially rescued by interleukin-4 (IL-4). These findings suggest that PU.1 is not essential for the development of functional B lymphocytes beyond the pre-B stage. (Blood. 2005;106:2083-2090)



2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 810-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam S. Lazorchak ◽  
Mark S. Schlissel ◽  
Yuan Zhuang

ABSTRACT The immunoglobulin kappa light chain (Igκ) locus is regulated in a lineage- and stage-specific manner during B-cell development. The highly restricted timing of V to J gene recombination at the pre-B-cell stage is under the control of two enhancers, the intronic enhancer (κEi) and the 3′ enhancer (κE3′), flanking the constant exon. E2A transcription factors have been indicated to be directly involved in the regulation of Igκ locus activation. In this study, we utilize E2A-deficient pre-B cells to directly investigate the mechanism of E2A-mediated Igκ activation. We demonstrate that Igκ germ line transcription is severely impaired and recombination is blocked in the absence of E2A. Reconstitution of E2A −/− pre-B cells with inducible human E2A (E47R) is sufficient to promote chromatin modification of Igκ and rescue Igκ germ line transcription and Jκ gene recombinase accessibility. Furthermore, we show that increased E2A recruitment to κEi and κE3′ correlates with activation of Igκ in pre-B cells and that recruitment of E2A to κE3′ is in part dependent on the transcription factor IRF-4. Inhibition of IRF-4 expression in pre-B cells leads to a significant reduction of Igκ germ line transcription and enhancer acetylation. In the absence of E2A, increased IRF-4 expression is not sufficient to promote Igκ enhancer chromatin modification or transcription, suggesting that the sequential involvement of IRF-4 and E2A is necessary for the activation of the Igκ locus. Finally, we provide genetic evidence in the mouse that E2A gene dosage can influence the development of pre-B cells during the phase of Igκ gene activation.



2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe-Xiong Lian ◽  
Hiroto Kita ◽  
Tomoyuki Okada ◽  
Tom Hsu ◽  
Leonard D. Shultz ◽  
...  

Reductions in populations of both Pre-B cell (Hardy fractions D) and Pro-B cells (Hardy fractions B–C) have been described in association with murine lupus. Recent studies of B cell populations, based on evaluation of B cell differentiation markers, now allow the enumeration and enrichment of other stage specific precursor cells. In this study we report detailed analysis of the ontogeny of B cell lineage subsets in New Zealand black (NZB) and control strains of mice. Our data suggest that B cell development in NZB mice is partially arrested at the fraction A Pre–Pro B cell stage. This arrest at the Pre-Pro B cell stage is secondary to prolonged lifespan and greater resistance to spontaneous apoptosis. In addition, expression of the gene encoding the critical B cell development transcription factor BSAP is reduced in the Pre–Pro B cell stage in NZB mice. This impairment may influence subsequent B cell development to later stages, and thereby accounts for the down-regulation of the B cell receptor componentIgα(mb-1). Furthermore, levels of expression of theRug2, λ5andIgβ(B29) genes are also reduced in Pre–Pro B cells of NZB mice. The decreased frequency of precursor B cells in the Pre–Pro B cell population occurs at the most primitive stage of B cell differentiation.



Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 107 (11) ◽  
pp. 4407-4416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wu Xu ◽  
Tomofusa Fukuyama ◽  
Paul A. Ney ◽  
Demin Wang ◽  
Jerold Rehg ◽  
...  

Abstract CREB-binding protein (CBP) and its para-log p300 are transcriptional coactivators that physically or functionally interact with over 320 mammalian and viral proteins, including 36 that are essential for B cells in mice. CBP and p300 are generally considered limiting for transcription, yet their roles in adult cell lineages are largely unknown since homozygous null mutations in either gene or compound heterozygosity cause early embryonic lethality in mice. We tested the hypotheses that CBP and p300 are limiting and that each has unique properties in B cells, by using mice with Cre/LoxP conditional knockout alleles for CBP (CBPflox) and p300 (p300flox), which carry CD19Cre that initiates floxed gene recombination at the pro–B-cell stage. CD19Cre-mediated loss of CBP or p300 led to surprisingly modest deficits in B-cell numbers, whereas inactivation of both genes was not tolerated by peripheral B cells. There was a moderate decrease in B-cell receptor (BCR)–responsive gene expression in CBP or p300 homozygous null B cells, suggesting that CBP and p300 are essential for this signaling pathway that is crucial for B-cell homeostasis. These results indicate that individually CBP and p300 are partially limiting beyond the pro-B-cell stage and that other coactivators in B cells cannot replace their combined loss.



2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (40) ◽  
pp. E8411-E8420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Tong ◽  
Alessandra Granato ◽  
Teng Zuo ◽  
Neha Chaudhary ◽  
Adam Zuiani ◽  
...  

Ig heavy chain (IgH) isotypes (e.g., IgM, IgG, and IgE) are generated as secreted/soluble antibodies (sIg) or as membrane-bound (mIg) B cell receptors (BCRs) through alternative RNA splicing. IgH isotype dictates soluble antibody function, but how mIg isotype influences B cell behavior is not well defined. We examined IgH isotype-specific BCR function by analyzing naturally switched B cells from wild-type mice, as well as by engineering polyclonal Ighγ1/γ1 and Ighε/ε mice, which initially produce IgG1 or IgE from their respective native genomic configurations. We found that B cells from wild-type mice, as well as Ighγ1/γ1 and Ighε/ε mice, produce transcripts that generate IgM, IgG1, and IgE in an alternative splice form bias hierarchy, regardless of cell stage. In this regard, we found that mIgμ > mIgγ1 > mIgε, and that these BCR expression differences influence respective developmental fitness. Restrained B cell development from Ighγ1/γ1 and Ighε/ε mice was proportional to sIg/mIg ratios and was rescued by enforced expression of the respective mIgs. In addition, artificially enhancing BCR signal strength permitted IgE+ memory B cells—which essentially do not exist under normal conditions—to provide long-lived memory function, suggesting that quantitative BCR signal weakness contributes to restraint of IgE B cell responses. Our results indicate that IgH isotype-specific mIg/BCR dosage may play a larger role in B cell fate than previously anticipated.



2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 2815-2824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simanta Pathak ◽  
Shibin Ma ◽  
Long Trinh ◽  
Runqing Lu

ABSTRACT Receptor editing is the primary means through which B cells revise antigen receptors and maintain central tolerance. Previous studies have demonstrated that interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF-4) and IRF-8 promote immunoglobulin light-chain rearrangement and transcription at the pre-B stage. Here, the roles of IRF-4 and -8 in receptor editing were analyzed. Our results show that secondary rearrangement was impaired in IRF-4 but not IRF-8 mutant mice, suggesting that receptor editing is defective in the absence of IRF-4. The role of IRF-4 in receptor editing was further examined in B-cell-receptor (BCR) transgenic mice. Our results show that secondary rearrangement triggered by membrane-bound antigen was defective in the IRF-4-deficient mice. Our results further reveal that the defect in secondary rearrangement is more severe at the immunoglobulin λ locus than at the κ locus, indicating that IRF-4 is more critical for the λ rearrangement. We provide evidence demonstrating that the expression of IRF-4 in immature B cells is rapidly induced by self-antigen and that the reconstitution of IRF-4 expression in the IRF-4 mutant immature B cells promotes secondary rearrangement. Thus, our studies identify IRF-4 as a nuclear effector of a BCR signaling pathway that promotes secondary rearrangement at the immature B-cell stage.



Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 1396-1403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shibin Ma ◽  
Simanta Pathak ◽  
Long Trinh ◽  
Runqing Lu

Abstract Pre-B lymphocytes consist of 2 distinct cell populations: large pre-B and small pre-B. The large pre-B cells are newly generated pre-B cells that express pre–B-cell receptor (pre-BCR) on the surface and are highly proliferative; small pre-B cells are derived from large pre-B cells that have down-regulated pre-BCR and withdrawn from cell cycle. The molecular events that mediate the transition from cycling pre-B to small, resting pre-B have not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that interferon regulatory factors 4 and 8 (IRF4,8) suppress surrogate light chain expression and down-regulate pre-BCR in pre-B cells. Our studies further reveal that IRF4,8 induce the expression of Ikaros and Aiolos in pre-B cells, and reconstitution of expression of either one is sufficient to suppress surrogate light chain expression and down-regulate pre-BCR in pre-B cells lacking IRF4,8. Interestingly, our results also indicate that pre-B cells undergo growth inhibition and cell-cycle arrest in the presence of IRF4,8. Moreover, we provide evidence that Ikaros and Aiolos are indispensable for the down-regulation of pre-BCR and the cell-cycle withdrawal mediated by IRF4,8. Thus, IRF4,8 orchestrate the transition from large pre-B to small pre-B cells by inducing the expression of Ikaros and Aiolos.



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