Lyn signaling to upregulate GANP is critical for the survival of high-affinity B cells in germinal centers of lymphoid organs

J Immunol. 2012 Oct 1;189(7):3472-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1200649. Epub 2012 Aug 31.

Abstract

Signals through BCR and costimulatory molecules play essential roles in selecting high-affinity B cells with Ig V-region mutations in the germinal centers (GCs) of peripheral lymphoid organs. Lyn-deficient (lyn(-/-)) mice show impaired BCR signal triggering for cell proliferation and GC formation, causing hyper-IgM, and display autoimmunity after aging. In this study, we demonstrate that Lyn-mediated signaling to upregulate GANP is essential for the survival of mature GC-like (mGC) B cells with high-affinity type BCR mutations upon Ag immunization. Transgenic ganp expression into lyn(-/-) mice did not recover the Lyn-deficient phenotype with regard to B cell differentiation, serum Igs, and impaired GC formation in spleens after immunization with nitrophenyl-chicken γ-globulin, but it markedly rescued cell survival of mGC B cells by suppressing DNA damage, thereby increasing the frequency of the Trp(33)-to-Leu mutation in the IgV(H)-186.2 region and affinity maturation of nitrophenyl-binding B cells. GANP may play a critical role in Lyn-mediated signaling for the selection of high-affinity B cells in peripheral lymphoid organs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / cytology
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology*
  • Cell Adhesion / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion / immunology
  • Cell Survival / immunology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Germinal Center / immunology*
  • Germinal Center / metabolism
  • Germinal Center / pathology
  • Humans
  • Lymphoid Tissue / immunology*
  • Lymphoid Tissue / metabolism
  • Lymphoid Tissue / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Nuclear Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / physiology
  • Phosphoproteins / biosynthesis*
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / immunology*
  • Up-Regulation / genetics
  • Up-Regulation / immunology*
  • src-Family Kinases / deficiency
  • src-Family Kinases / genetics
  • src-Family Kinases / physiology*

Substances

  • GANP protein, mouse
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • lyn protein-tyrosine kinase
  • src-Family Kinases