scholarly journals The mTOR-Bach2 Cascade Controls Cell Cycle and Class Switch Recombination during B Cell Differentiation

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Tamahara ◽  
Kyoko Ochiai ◽  
Akihiko Muto ◽  
Yukinari Kato ◽  
Nicolas Sax ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Class Switch Recombination ◽  
Cyclin D3 ◽  
Immunoglobulin Gene ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Class Switch

ABSTRACT The transcription factor Bach2 regulates both acquired and innate immunity at multiple steps, including antibody class switching and regulatory T cell development in activated B and T cells, respectively. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of Bach2 regulation in response to signaling of cytokines and antigen. We show here that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) controls Bach2 along B cell differentiation with two distinct mechanisms in pre-B cells. First, mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibited accumulation of Bach2 protein in nuclei and reduced its stability. Second, mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2) inhibited FoxO1 to reduce Bach2 mRNA expression. Using expression profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, the Ccnd3 gene, encoding cyclin D3, was identified as a new direct target of Bach2. A proper cell cycle was lost at pre-B and mature B cell stages in Bach2-deficient mice. Furthermore, AZD8055, an mTOR inhibitor, increased class switch recombination in wild-type mature B cells but not in Bach2-deficient cells. These results suggest that the mTOR-Bach2 cascade regulates proper cell cycle arrest in B cells as well as immunoglobulin gene rearrangement.

scholarly journals Integrated genetic approaches identify the molecular mechanisms of Sox4 in early B-cell development: intricate roles for RAG1/2 and CK1ε

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 123 (26) ◽  
pp. 4064-4076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saradhi Mallampati ◽  
Baohua Sun ◽  
Yue Lu ◽  
Haiqing Ma ◽  
Yun Gong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
B Cell Development ◽  
Immunoglobulin Gene ◽  
Gene Recombination ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Casein Kinase 1 ◽  
Key Points

Key Points RAG1/2 and casein kinase 1 ε are key effectors of Sox4 function in progenitor B cells. Sox4 induces B-cell differentiation by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling and activating immunoglobulin gene recombination.

Genomic deletion of the whole IgH 3′ regulatory region (hs3a, hs1,2, hs3b, and hs4) dramatically affects class switch recombination and Ig secretion to all isotypes

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (11) ◽  
pp. 1895-1898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christelle Vincent-Fabert ◽  
Remi Fiancette ◽  
Eric Pinaud ◽  
Véronique Truffinet ◽  
Nadine Cogné ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
B Cells ◽  
Plasma Cell ◽  
Regulatory Region ◽  
Class Switch Recombination ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Plasma Cell Differentiation ◽  
Heavy Chains ◽  
Class Switch ◽  
Transcriptional Changes

Abstract The immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH) undergoes multiple changes along B-cell differentiation. In progenitor B cells, V(D)J assembly allows expression of μ heavy chains. In mature B cells, class switch recombination may replace the expressed constant (C)μ gene with a downstream CH gene. Finally, plasma cell differentiation strongly boosts IgH transcription. How the multiple IgH transcriptional enhancers tune these changes is unclear. Here we demonstrate that deletion of the whole IgH 3′ regulatory region (3′RR) allows normal maturation until the stage of IgM/IgD expressing lymphocytes, but nearly abrogates class switch recombination to all CH genes. Although plasma cell numbers are unaffected, we reveal the role of the 3′RR into the transcriptional burst normally associated with plasma cell differentiation. Our study shows that transcriptional changes and recombinations occurring after antigen-encounter appear mainly controlled by the 3′RR working as a single functional unit.

SFRP5 Inhibits Early Stages Of B-Cell Differentiation and Modulates Estrogen-Related Changes In The Immune System

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 2422-2422
Author(s):  
Takafumi Yokota ◽  
Kenji Oritani ◽  
Takao Sudo ◽  
Tomohiko Ishibashi ◽  
Yukiko Doi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
B Lymphocytes ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Adaptive Immune System ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
B Lymphopoiesis

Abstract A large body of research has demonstrated that the maternal immune system is elaborately regulated during pregnancy to establish immunological tolerance to the fetus. Although our previous works have revealed that female sex hormones, particularly estrogen, play pivotal roles in suppressing maternal B-lymphopoiesis, the precise molecular mechanisms that mediate their functions are largely unknown. Because T and B lymphocytes function coordinately in the adaptive immune system, the inhibition of B-lymphopoiesis during pregnancy should be involved, at least in part, in “maternal-fetal immune tolerance.” Understanding the molecular mechanisms of tolerance would contribute to the development of new methods to inhibit immune responses after organ transplantation, such as rejection by the host or graft-versus-host diseases. The goal of our present study is to identify the molecular pathways through which estrogen exerts its suppressive effect on B-lymphopoiesis. We performed global analyses of estrogen-inducible genes in bone marrow (BM) stromal cells and identified the secreted frizzled-related protein (sFRP) family. A sFRP1-immunoglobulin G (Ig) fusion protein inhibited early differentiation of B-cells originating from BM-derived hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) in culture (Yokota T. et al. Journal of Immunol, 2008). Conversely, sFRP1 deficiency in vivo caused dysregulation of HSPC homeostasis in BM and aberrant increase of peripheral B lymphocytes (Renström J. et al. Cell Stem Cell, 2009). Therefore, in the present study we generated sFRP1 transgenic chimera (TC) mice that produced high levels of circulating sFRP1 after birth to examine the influence of sFRP1 on adult lymphopoiesis in vivo. Further, we generated sFRP5 TC mice using the same procedure to determine whether there were functional differences or redundancies between sFRP1 and sFRP5. The two are most closely related isoforms among the sFRP family and are known to play redundant roles during embryonic development; however, their physiological function in the immune system is largely unknown. Unexpectedly, while only subtle change was detected in the lymphoid lineage of sFRP1 TC mice, we found that the number of B cells was significantly reduced in the sFRP5 TC mice. The frequency of B cells, which normally account for approximately 50% of peripheral leukocytes of wild-type (WT) mice, was reduced to less than 20% in the sFRP5 TC mice. The suppression was likely specific to the B lineage, because overexpression of sFRP5 did not affect myeloid, T, or NK cells. Compared with WT littermates, the body size of sFRP5 TC mice was slightly, but significantly smaller. Thymocyte counts were not affected. In contrast, the number of splenocytes, particularly those of the B lineage, significantly decreased. In BM of sFRP5 TC mice, early B-cell differentiation was inhibited, resulting in the accumulation of cells whose phenotype corresponds to those of common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs). Gene array analyses of the accumulated CLPs indicated that sFRP5 affects the expression of adaptive immune system-related genes. Further, the sFRP5 overexpression was found to induce the expression of Wnt and Notch-related molecules that regulate the integrity of HSPCs. To determine the physiological involvement of sFRP5 in the inhibition of early B-cell differentiation, we exploited mice lacking sFRP5. It is noteworthy that, although the level of sFRP5 expression was minimal in steady-state BM, it was markedly induced after estrogen treatment. We injected water-soluble β-estradiol into WT or sFRP5-null mice for 4 days and evaluated their lympho-hematopoiesis 12 h after the last injection. While the highly HSPC-enriched Lineage- Sca-1+ c-kitHi Flt3- fraction of WT mice was resistant to the treatment, the same fraction of sFRP5-null mice showed a declining trend. Further, although the CLP fraction was significantly reduced in both strains, CLPs of sFRP5-null mice were more sensitive to estrogen than those of WT. We also performed gene expression analyses of WT and sFRP5-null mice after the estrogen treatment. We found that estrogen induced the expression of Hes1 in HSPCs of WT but not sFRP5-null mice. Thus, we conclude that estrogen-inducible sFRP5 blocks the differentiation of HSPCs in BM to B-lymphocytes in the presence of high levels of estrogen, at least in part by activation of the Notch pathway. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

AID expression identifies interfollicular large B cells as putative precursors of mature B-cell malignancies

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 2470-2473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Moldenhauer ◽  
Sergey W. Popov ◽  
Beate Wotschke ◽  
Silke Brüderlein ◽  
Petra Riedl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Cytidine Deaminase ◽  
Class Switch Recombination ◽  
Cell Subset ◽  
Germinal Centers ◽  
Immunoglobulin Gene ◽  
B Cell Malignancies ◽  
Class Switch ◽  
Thymic Medulla

Abstract Neoplastic transformation of mature B cells can be triggered by class-switch recombination of the immunoglobulin gene, which aberrantly targets a protooncogene and promotes translocation. Class-switch recombination is initiated by the B-cell-specific protein activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Using immunohistochemistry with a newly generated monoclonal antibody and quantitative reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on microdissected tissue from lymph node, tonsil, and thymus, we demonstrate that AID expression is found in secondary lymphoid organs outside germinal centers and in the thymic medulla at substantial levels. This is accompanied by the presence of circle transcripts, indicating class-switch recombination to be active at these sites. The dominant AID-expressing cell population outside germinal centers displays cytomorphologic properties corresponding to those that define the recently characterized interfollicular large B-cell subset. These findings indicate that interfollicular large B cells and AID-expressing B lymphocytes of the thymic medulla could give rise to mature B-cell malignancies. (Blood. 2006;107:2470-2473)

scholarly journals B-1 Cell Development: Evidence for an Uncommitted Immunoglobulin (Ig)M+ B Cell Precursor in B-1 Cell Differentiation

1998 ◽  
Vol 187 (8) ◽  
pp. 1325-1334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen H. Clarke ◽  
Larry W. Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Cell Development ◽  
Immunoglobulin Gene ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Receptor Signal

Murine phosphatidyl choline (PtC)–specific B cells in normal mice belong exclusively to the B-1 subset. Analysis of anti-PtC (VH12 and VH12/Vκ4) transgenic (Tg) mice indicates that exclusion from B-0 (also known as B-2) occurs after immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. This predicts that PtC-specific B-0 cells are generated, but subsequently eliminated by either apoptosis or differentiation to B-1. To investigate the mechanism of exclusion, PtC-specific B cell differentiation was examined in mice expressing the X-linked immunodeficiency (xid) mutation. xid mice lack functional Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk), a component of the B cell receptor signal transduction pathway, and are deficient in B-1 cell development. We find in C57BL/ 6.xid mice that VH12 pre-BII cell selection is normal and that PtC-specific B cells undergo modest clonal expansion. However, the majority of splenic PtC-specific B cells in anti-PtC Tg/xid mice are B-0, rather than B-1 as in their non-xid counterparts. These data indicate that PtC-specific B-0 cell generation precedes segregation as predicted, and that Btk function is required for efficient segregation to B-1. Since xid mice exhibit defective B cell differentiation, not programmed cell death, these data are most consistent with an inability of PtC-specific B-0 cells to convert to B-1 and a single B cell lineage.

E2F4 Plays a Critical Role in Early B-Cell Development.

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 318-318
Author(s):  
Clayton Smith ◽  
Michelle Glozak ◽  
Maura Gasparetto ◽  
Rachel Rempel ◽  
Jos Domens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cell Development ◽  
B Cell Development ◽  
Immunoglobulin Gene ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Cycle Progression

Abstract The E2Fs are important mediators of cell cycle control, DNA synthesis and apoptosis in many cell types. Recently E2F4 has been shown to play a role in hematopoietic cell growth and development (Rempel et al. Mol Cell, 6 p293, 2000). Here we report the effects of loss of E2F4 specifically on B-cell development. E2F4−/− mice have a partial block in early B-cell development prior to immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. The block is intrinsic to B-cell progenitors rather than secondary to micro-environmental effects since it occurs following transplant of E2F4−/− marrow into wild type recipients. Increases in apoptosis and abnormalities in cell cycle progression were found in B220+CD43+ B-cells of E2F4−/− mice indicating that E2F4 plays an important role in these processes in early B-cells. Expression of a variety of genes important in B-cell development including E2A, RAG, IL-7, EBF and Pax-5 were decreased in early E2F4−/− B-cells. In contrast, Id1 and Id2, regulators of a variety of genes critical to B-cell development, were relatively over-expressed in early E2F4−/− B-cells while Id3 was relatively under-expressed in these cells. E2F binding sites were identified in the Id2 and Id3 promoters and E2F4 was found to directly bind to these promoters in splenic B-cells. These findings suggest that E2F4 may also regulate early B-cell development by directly and indirectly modulating expression of the genes critical to B-cell differentiation. Together, these observations indicate that E2F4 is a critical mediator of early B-cell development via its effects on multiple pathways including those involved with apoptosis, cell cycle progression and differentiation. These findings also suggest that the E2Fs may serve to link cell survival and proliferation pathways to differentiation pathways in early B-cells and perhaps other cells aswell.

AB0144 STRATIFICATION OF PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY SJÖGREN’S SYNDROME BY MEASURING B-CELL HEALTH

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1372-1373
Author(s):  
G. M. Verstappen ◽  
J. C. Tempany ◽  
H. Cheon ◽  
A. Farchione ◽  
S. Downie-Doyle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
T Cell ◽  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Research Support ◽  
Differentiation Capacity ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Healthy Donors

Background:Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is a heterogeneous immune disorder with broad clinical phenotypes that can arise from a large number of genetic, hormonal, and environmental causes. B-cell hyperactivity is considered to be a pathogenic hallmark of pSS. However, whether B-cell hyperactivity in pSS patients is a result of polygenic, B cell-intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors, or both, is unclear. Despite controversies about the efficacy of rituximab, new B-cell targeting therapies are under investigation with promising early results. However, for such therapies to be successful, the etiology of B-cell hyperactivity in pSS needs to be clarified at the individual patient level.Objectives:To measure naïve B-cell function in pSS patients and healthy donors using quantitative immunology.Methods:We have developed standardised, quantitative functional assays of B-cell responses that measure division, death, differentiation and isotype switching, to reveal the innate programming of B cells in response to T-independent and dependent stimuli. This novel pipeline to measure B-cell health was developed to reveal the sum total of polygenic defects and underlying B-cell dysfunction at an individual level. For the current study, 25 pSS patients, fulfilling 2016 ACR-EULAR criteria, and 15 age-and gender-matched healthy donors were recruited. Standardized quantitative assays were used to directly measure B cell division, death and differentiation in response to T cell-independent (anti-Ig + CpG) and T-cell dependent (CD40L + IL-21) stimuli. Naïve B cells (IgD+CD27-) were sorted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and were labeled with Cell Trace Violet at day 0 to track cell division until day 6. B cell differentiation was measured at day 5.Results:Application of our standardized assays, and accompanying parametric models, allowed us to study B cell-intrinsic defects in pSS patients to a range of stimuli. Strikingly, we demonstrated a hyperresponse of naïve B cells to combined B cell receptor (BCR) and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-9 stimulation in pSS patients. This hyperresponse was revealed by an increased mean division number (MDN) at day 5 in pSS patients compared with healthy donors (p=0.021). A higher MDN in pSS patients was observed at the cohort level and was likely attributed to an increased division burst (division destiny) time. The MDN upon BCR/TLR-9 stimulation correlated with serum IgG levels (rs=0.52; p=0.011). No difference in MDN of naïve B cells after T cell-dependent stimulation was observed between pSS patients and healthy donors. B cell differentiation capacity (e.g., plasmablast formation and isotype switching) after T cell-dependent stimulation was also assessed. At the cohort level, no difference in differentiation capacity between groups was observed, although some pSS patients showed higher plasmablast frequencies than healthy donors.Conclusion:Here, we demonstrate defects in B-cell responses both at the cohort level, as well as individual signatures of defective responses. Personalized profiles of B cell health in pSS patients reveal a group of hyperresponsive patients, specifically to combined BCR/TLR stimulation. These patients may benefit most from B-cell targeted therapies. Future studies will address whether profiles of B cell health might serve additional roles, such as prediction of disease trajectories, and thus accelerate early intervention and access to precision therapies.Disclosure of Interests:Gwenny M. Verstappen: None declared, Jessica Catherine Tempany: None declared, HoChan Cheon: None declared, Anthony Farchione: None declared, Sarah Downie-Doyle: None declared, Maureen Rischmueller Consultant of: Abbvie, Bristol-Meyer-Squibb, Celgene, Glaxo Smith Kline, Hospira, Janssen Cilag, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, UCB, Ken R. Duffy: None declared, Frans G.M. Kroese Grant/research support from: Unrestricted grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Consultant of: Consultant for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Speakers bureau: Speaker for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche and Janssen-Cilag, Hendrika Bootsma Grant/research support from: Unrestricted grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche, Consultant of: Consultant for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Novartis, Medimmune, Union Chimique Belge, Speakers bureau: Speaker for Bristol-Myers Squibb and Novartis., Philip D. Hodgkin Grant/research support from: Medimmune, Vanessa L. Bryant Grant/research support from: CSL

scholarly journals YY1 plays an essential role at all stages of B-cell differentiation

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (27) ◽  
pp. E3911-E3920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eden Kleiman ◽  
Haiqun Jia ◽  
Salvatore Loguercio ◽  
Andrew I. Su ◽  
Ann J. Feeney
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Mrna Splicing ◽  
Cell Populations ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Chip Sequencing

Ying Yang 1 (YY1) is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor shown to be essential for pro–B-cell development. However, the role of YY1 in other B-cell populations has never been investigated. Recent bioinformatics analysis data have implicated YY1 in the germinal center (GC) B-cell transcriptional program. In accord with this prediction, we demonstrated that deletion of YY1 by Cγ1-Cre completely prevented differentiation of GC B cells and plasma cells. To determine if YY1 was also required for the differentiation of other B-cell populations, we deleted YY1 with CD19-Cre and found that all peripheral B-cell subsets, including B1 B cells, require YY1 for their differentiation. Transitional 1 (T1) B cells were the most dependent upon YY1, being sensitive to even a half-dosage of YY1 and also to short-term YY1 deletion by tamoxifen-induced Cre. We show that YY1 exerts its effects, in part, by promoting B-cell survival and proliferation. ChIP-sequencing shows that YY1 predominantly binds to promoters, and pathway analysis of the genes that bind YY1 show enrichment in ribosomal functions, mitochondrial functions such as bioenergetics, and functions related to transcription such as mRNA splicing. By RNA-sequencing analysis of differentially expressed genes, we demonstrated that YY1 normally activates genes involved in mitochondrial bioenergetics, whereas it normally down-regulates genes involved in transcription, mRNA splicing, NF-κB signaling pathways, the AP-1 transcription factor network, chromatin remodeling, cytokine signaling pathways, cell adhesion, and cell proliferation. Our results show the crucial role that YY1 plays in regulating broad general processes throughout all stages of B-cell differentiation.

scholarly journals Optimized Protocols for in Vitro T Cell-Dependent and T Cell-Independent Activation for B Cell Differentiation Studies Using Limited Cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casper Marsman ◽  
Dorit Verhoeven
Keyword(s):  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
T Cell ◽  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Plasma Cells ◽  
Cell Formation ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Human B Cell

Background/methods: For mechanistic studies, in vitro human B cell differentiation and generation of plasma cells are invaluable techniques. However, the heterogeneity of both T cell-dependent (TD) and T cell-independent (TI) stimuli and the disparity of culture conditions used in existing protocols makes interpretation of results challenging. The aim of the present study was to achieve the most optimal B cell differentiation conditions using isolated CD19+ B cells and PBMC cultures. We addressed multiple seeding densities, different durations of culturing and various combinations of TD stimuli and TI stimuli including B cell receptor (BCR) triggering. B cell expansion, proliferation and differentiation was analyzed after 6 and 9 days by measuring B cell proliferation and expansion, plasmablast and plasma cell formation and immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion. In addition, these conditions were extrapolated using cryopreserved cells and differentiation potential was compared. Results: This study demonstrates improved differentiation efficiency after 9 days of culturing for both B cell and PBMC cultures using CD40L and IL-21 as TD stimuli and 6 days for CpG and IL-2 as TI stimuli. We arrived at optimized protocols requiring 2500 and 25.000 B cells per culture well for TD and TI assays, respectively. The results of the PBMC cultures were highly comparable to the B cell cultures, which allows dismissal of additional B cell isolation steps prior to culturing. In these optimized TD conditions, the addition of anti-BCR showed little effect on phenotypic B cell differentiation, however it interferes with Ig secretion measurements. Addition of IL-4 to the TD stimuli showed significantly lower Ig secretion. The addition of BAFF to optimized TI conditions showed enhanced B cell differentiation and Ig secretion in B cell but not in PBMC cultures. With this approach, efficient B cell differentiation and Ig secretion was accomplished when starting from fresh or cryopreserved samples. Conclusion: Our methodology demonstrates optimized TD and TI stimulation protocols for more indepth analysis of B cell differentiation in primary human B cell and PBMC cultures while requiring low amounts of B cells, making them ideally suited for future clinical and research studies on B cell differentiation of patient samples from different cohorts of B cell-mediated diseases.

scholarly journals Conserved gammaherpesvirus protein kinase counters the antiviral effects of myeloid cell specific STAT1 expression to promote the establishment of splenic B cell latency.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Sylvester ◽  
C. N. Jondle ◽  
K. P. Stoltz ◽  
J. Lanham ◽  
B. N. Dittel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
B Cells ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Type I ◽  
B Cell Differentiation ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Antiviral Effects ◽  
Cell Type Specific

Gammaherpesviruses establish life-long infections and are associated with B cell lymphomas. Murine gammaherpesvirus-68 (MHV68) infects epithelial and myeloid cells during acute infection, with subsequent passage of the virus to B cells, where physiological B cell differentiation is usurped to ensure the establishment of chronic latent reservoir. Interferons (IFNs) represent a major antiviral defense system that engages transcriptional factor STAT1 to attenuate diverse acute and chronic viral infections, including those of gammaherpesviruses. Correspondingly, global deficiency of type I or type II IFN signaling profoundly increases the pathogenesis of acute and chronic gammaherpesvirus infection, compromises host survival, and impedes mechanistic understanding of cell type-specific role of IFN signaling. Here we demonstrate that myeloid-specific STAT1 deficiency attenuates acute and persistent MHV68 replication in the lungs and suppresses viral reactivation from peritoneal cells, without any effect on the establishment of viral latent reservoir in splenic B cells. All gammaherpesviruses encode a conserved protein kinase that antagonizes type I IFN signaling in vitro. Here, we show that myeloid-specific STAT1 deficiency rescues the attenuated splenic latent reservoir of kinase null MHV68 mutant. However, despite having gained access to splenic B cells, protein kinase null MHV68 mutant fails to drive B cell differentiation. Thus, while myeloid-intrinsic STAT1 expression must be counteracted by the gammaherpesvirus protein kinase to facilitate viral passage to splenic B cells, expression of the viral protein kinase continues to be required to promote optimal B cell differentiation and viral reactivation, highlighting the multifunctional nature of this conserved viral protein during chronic infection. Importance. IFN signaling is a major antiviral system of the host that suppresses replication of diverse viruses, including acute and chronic gammaherpesvirus infection. STAT1 is a critical member and the primary antiviral effector of IFN signaling pathways. Given the significantly compromised antiviral status of global type I or type II IFN deficiency, unabated gammaherpesvirus replication and pathogenesis hinders understanding of cell type-specific antiviral effects. In this study, a mouse model of myeloid-specific STAT1 deficiency unveiled site-specific antiviral effects of STAT1 in the lungs and peritoneal cavity, but not spleen of chronically infected hosts. Interestingly, expression of a conserved gammaherpesvirus protein kinase was required to counteract the antiviral effects of myeloid-specific STAT1 expression to facilitate latent infection of splenic B cells, revealing a cell-type specific virus-host antagonism during the establishment of chronic gammaherpesvirus infection.

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