Expression Of Activation-induced Deaminase Research Articles

Activation-induced deaminase expression defines mature B cell lymphoma in the mouse.

Germinal centers (GCs) are the sites of secondary antibody diversification and underlie the mechanism of action of many vaccination strategies. Activation-induced deaminase (AID) triggers secondary antibody diversification through the introduction of somatic changes in immunoglobulin genes which lead to the generation of antibodies of higher affinity and more specialized effector functions. However, AID can also target other genomic regions, giving rise to mutations and chromosome translocations with oncogenic potential. Many human lymphomas originate from mature B cells that have undergone the GC reaction, such as the diffuse large B cell lymphoma, the follicular lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma, and carry chromosome translocations. Mature B cell lymphomagenesis has been modeled in the mouse by the genetic introduction of chromosome translocations. Here, we present an in-depth characterization of one such model, λ-MYC mice. We found that young pre-tumor stage mice had a prominent block in early B cell differentiation that resulted in the generation of very aggressive tumors lacking surface B cell receptor (BCR) expression, indicating that a large fraction of tumors in λ-MYC mice arise from B cell precursors rather than from mature B cells. Further, we assessed the contribution of AID to B cell lymphomagenesis in λ-MYC mice by using a genetic tracer of historical AID expression. Only a fraction of tumors contained cells of GC origin as defined by AID expression. AID-experienced tumors associated with longer survival and resembled mature B cell lymphomas. Thus, AID expression defines Burkitt lymphomagenesis in λ-MYC mice.

Effect of 50-Hz magnetic fields on the expression of activation-induced deaminase, B-cell lymphoma 6 and serum levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-21

Background Investigations showed different effects of magnetic fields (MFs) on the immune system. During humoral immune responses, genes of activation-induced deaminase (AID) and B-cell lymphoma-6 (Bcl-6) are expressed and interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-21 are produced. These factors play significant roles in class switching, affinity maturation of antibodies and activations of B cells germinal centers (GCs). Therefore, this study investigated the effect of 50-Hz MFs exposure with different densities on these factors. Materials and methods Eighty rats were divided into four exposures and control groups. The treatment groups were exposed to magnetic flux densities of 1, 100, 500, and 2000 μT (50 Hz, 2 h/d for 60 d). To activation of the immune system, all the animals were immunized with human serum albumin on days 31, 44, and 58 of exposure. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to assay the expression levels of AID and Bcl-6 genes in the spleen. The serum levels of IL-6 and IL-21 were also detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at the pre-and post-immunization phases. Results AID expression was significantly declined at 1μT magnetic flux density, while no change was observed in the expression of Bcl-6. Serum IL-6 was increased only in the 500 μT group at the post-immunization phase. Conclusions It seems exposure to 50-Hz MFs at 1 μT density, suppresses AID and may cause a decline in class switching and affinity maturation of Abs. On the other hand, exposure to 500 μT, may activate them. These findings demonstrate the various potential effects of MFs on the humoral immune system.

AID overexpression leads to aggressive murine CLL and nonimmunoglobulin mutations that mirror human neoplasms

Most cancers become more dangerous by the outgrowth of malignant subclones with additional DNA mutations that favor proliferation or survival. Using chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a disease that exemplifies this process and is a model for neoplasms in general, we created transgenic mice overexpressing the enzyme activation-induced deaminase (AID), which has a normal function of inducing DNA mutations in B lymphocytes. AID not only allows normal B lymphocytes to develop more effective immunoglobulin-mediated immunity, but is also able to mutate nonimmunoglobulin genes, predisposing to cancer. In CLL, AID expression correlates with poor prognosis, suggesting a role for this enzyme in disease progression. Nevertheless, direct experimental evidence identifying the specific genes that are mutated by AID and indicating that those genes are associated with disease progression is not available. To address this point, we overexpressed Aicda in a murine model of CLL (Eμ-TCL1). Analyses of TCL1/AID mice demonstrate a role for AID in disease kinetics, CLL cell proliferation, and the development of cancer-related target mutations with canonical AID signatures in nonimmunoglobulin genes. Notably, our mouse models can accumulate mutations in the same genes that are mutated in human cancers. Moreover, some of these mutations occur at homologous positions, leading to identical or chemically similar amino acid substitutions as in human CLL and lymphoma. Together, these findings support a direct link between aberrant AID activity and CLL driver mutations that are then selected for their oncogenic effects, whereby AID promotes aggressiveness in CLL and other B-cell neoplasms.

The uracil-DNA glycosylase UNG protects the fitness of normal and cancer B cells expressing AID.

In B lymphocytes, the uracil N-glycosylase (UNG) excises genomic uracils made by activation-induced deaminase (AID), thus underpinning antibody gene diversification and oncogenic chromosomal translocations, but also initiating faithful DNA repair. Ung−/− mice develop B-cell lymphoma (BCL). However, since UNG has anti- and pro-oncogenic activities, its tumor suppressor relevance is unclear. Moreover, how the constant DNA damage and repair caused by the AID and UNG interplay affects B-cell fitness and thereby the dynamics of cell populations in vivo is unknown. Here, we show that UNG specifically protects the fitness of germinal center B cells, which express AID, and not of any other B-cell subset, coincident with AID-induced telomere damage activating p53-dependent checkpoints. Consistent with AID expression being detrimental in UNG-deficient B cells, Ung−/− mice develop BCL originating from activated B cells but lose AID expression in the established tumor. Accordingly, we find that UNG is rarely lost in human BCL. The fitness preservation activity of UNG contingent to AID expression was confirmed in a B-cell leukemia model. Hence, UNG, typically considered a tumor suppressor, acquires tumor-enabling activity in cancer cell populations that express AID by protecting cell fitness.

High-Throughput BCR Sequencing and Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveal Distinct Transcriptional Profiles Associated with Subclonal Evolution of Follicular Lymphoma

Objectives: Follicular lymphoma (FL) typically originates from premalignant mature B cells that carry the founder t(14;18) BCL2 translocation. Mutations in epigenetic modifiers and acquisition of N-glycosylation sites in CDR regions of the B-cell receptor (BCR) are recurrent secondary events in FL pathogenesis. Despite these oncogenic drivers, FL can remain indolent and clinically stable for years. The molecular events driving subclonal evolution into symptomatic progression and eventual transformation to aggressive lymphoma are insufficiently understood. FL cells are frozen in their B-cell development at the germinal center stage and undergo continuous somatic hypermutation mediated by expression of activation-induced deaminase (AID). We aim to identify crucial drivers of subclonal FL evolution by high-throughput mapping at single-cell resolution. Methods: Viable FL cells were isolated and cryopreserved from 23 histologically or immunocytologically confirmed FL samples from 13 patients with informed consent. Full-length VDJ/VJ transcripts were isolated by unbiased template-switching ARTISAN PCR and massive parallel NGS sequencing on the PacBio platform. The clonal primordial FL BCR (pBCR) was reconstructed from unmutated IGV/IGJ sequences with the CDR3 of the least mutated BCR. Since the IgTree program was unable to process the obtained numbers of BCR sequences, we developed the WILLOW algorithm for analysis of BCR evolution based on the principle of maximum parsimony and on distance from the pBCR. Intraclonal BCR variability was quantified by Shannon's diversity index. 5' single cell transcriptomics and VDJ/VJ sequencing was performed on 2 pools of highly purified FL cells from 5 lymph node biopsies on the 10x Genomics platform. Data were deconvoluted based on expressed variants by the Single Cell Sample Matcher (SCSM) algorithm. Clustering based on gene expression profiles was performed by shared nearest neighbour (SNN) modularity optimization within the R Seurat package. Genes whose expression differed significantly (adjusted p<0.05) between clusters were assigned to gene ontology terms. Results: ARTISAN PCR/PacBio NGS yielded a median of 743 full-length VDJ and VJ sequences (range 62-12782) per BCR chain with expected high intraclonal diversity (median 200 subclones, range 15-3301). WILLOW revealed dominant FL subclones with a subclonal hierarchy wherein multiple routes converged to offspring nodes with identical additional mutations rather than tree-like branching (Figure). In serial samples of 4 patients, lymph node biopsies had only marginally higher subclonal diversity than blood or bone marrow samples (p=0,055; Wilcoxon's matched-pairs signed rank test). Overall BCR mutational burden increased over time in sequential biopsies. Two cases of histological FL transformation were dominated by a single subclone (65% and 80% of all VDJ/VJ sequences, respectively) that was rare in the preceding FL BCR network (0.2% and 1.8%). Pooled transcriptomics data from 6050-6500 cells were assigned to individual samples by SCSM and revealed up to seven transcriptional clusters per FL. In 9 of 10 FL, genes assigned to immune function strongly contributed to separation into one or more clusters. Single cell VDJ/VJ sequencing yielded combined heavy and light chain BCR sequences for a median of 502 FL cells per biopsy (range 22 - 1919) that permitted mapping of subclonal evolution by WILLOW based on complete BCR information. Transcriptome clusters were not distributed evenly throughout the WILLOW FL BCR networks but rather statistically associated with distinct major FL subclones. Vice versa, major FL subclones within the same biopsy were distinguished by particular gene expression profiles. Conclusions: WILLOW facilitates mapping of subclonal FL evolution based on high-throughput BCR sequencing. FL evolution proceeds in networks rather than tree-like branching, whereby acquisition of certain combinations of several BCR mutations can occur in parallel in different trajectories. Transcriptomic profiling of single FL cells identifies distinct clusters within a single biopsy. Mapping of these clusters to the FL cell position in the subclonal FL evolutionary network identifies putative mechanisms that are associated with subclonal progression. These mechanisms involve physiological B-cell signalling pathways. Figure Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

B cells from young and old mice switch isotypes with equal frequencies after ex vivo stimulation

To determine whether old B cells have the same capacity to switch isotypes as young cells, we purified splenic follicular, marginal zone, and age-associated B cell subsets from C57BL/6 mice. Cells were stimulated in culture with interleukin 4 and either lipopolysaccharide or anti-CD40, and switching to IgG1 was measured by flow cytometry of surface immunoglobulin. The results show that switching was robust in follicular and marginal zone B cells from old mice and was comparable to their young counterparts. However, age-associated B cells from old mice switched poorly relative to the other subsets. Expression of activation-induced deaminase, which initiates switching, was quantified by qPCR of mRNA, and it was equal between young and old follicular B cells. Thus, in this ex vivo system, the follicular and marginal zone cells from young and old mice behaved similarly, showing that the molecular machinery to perform switching is intact in old B cells.

Circulating follicular T helper cells are possibly associated with low levels of serum immunoglobulin G due to impaired immunoglobulin class-switch recombination of B cells in children with primary nephrotic syndrome

Clinically, most patients with primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) have low serum IgG levels, which is an important factor in infection and in PNS relapse.To some extent, the mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of the decreased IgG levels in PNS.Peripheral blood was collected from patients with PNS and closely age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. The frequency, phenotype and molecular function of different circulating B cell and T follicular helper cell (TFH) subsets were examined by flow cytometry. The function of the CD40/CD40 L interaction in immunoglobulin class-switch recombination (CSR) was evaluated by assessing the induction of activation-induced deaminase (AID) expression with CD40 L stimulation.We revealed an increase in the levels of circulating total plasmablasts, plasma cells and mature-naive B cells and a decrease in the levels of germinal centre-like B cells and CD19+IgG+ B cells in PNS. In addition, although the expression of CD86 on the surface of B cells and the expression of the inducible costimulator (ICOS) on the surface of TFH cells both were increased, the expression of CD40 L on the surface of TFH cells was decreased. Moreover, upon stimulation with CD40 L in vitro, the mRNA expression of AID in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was decreased in patients with PNS compared with that in healthy controls. Our results indicate that the immunoglobulin CSR of B cells was partly dysfunctional and provide insights into the potential involvement of impaired TFH cell-dependent B cell responses in the pathogenesis of low IgG levels through downregulating CD40 L expression on TFH cells in PNS.

Signaling control of antibody isotype switching.

Class switch recombination (CSR) generates isotype-switched antibodies with distinct effector functions essential for mediating effective humoral immunity. CSR is catalyzed by activation-induced deaminase (AID) that initiates DNA lesions in the evolutionarily conserved switch (S) regions at the immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) locus. AID-initiated DNA lesions are subsequently converted into DNA double stranded breaks (DSBs) in the S regions of Igh locus, repaired by non-homologous end-joining to effect CSR in mammalian B lymphocytes. While molecular mechanisms of CSR are well characterized, it remains less well understood how upstream signaling pathways regulate AID expression and CSR. B lymphocytes express multiple receptors including the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) and co-receptors (e.g., CD40). These receptors may share common signaling pathways or may use distinct signaling elements to regulate CSR. Here, we discuss how signals emanating from different receptors positively or negatively regulate AID expression and CSR.

Investigating epigenetic effects of activation-induced deaminase in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Activation induced deaminase (AID) has two distinct and well defined roles, both relying on its deoxycytidine (dC) deaminating function: one as a DNA mutator and another in DNA demethylation. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), AID was previously shown to be an independent negative prognostic factor. While there is substantial impact on DNA mutations, effects of AID on gene expression by promoter demethylation of disease related target genes in leukemia has not been addressed. To shed light on this question, we aimed at determining genome wide methylation changes as well as gene expression changes in response to AID expression in CLL. Although we found minor differences in individual methylation variable positions following AID expression, we could not find recurrent methylation changes of specific target sites or changes in global methylation.

Abstract 3802: A novel uracil-DNA glycosylase, UdgX, as a new biochemical tool to directly detect uracils in DNA

Abstract The enzyme activation-induced deaminase (AID) is essential to the B lymphocyte development and antibody maturation. It converts cytosines in DNA to uracil. The unregulated expression of AID in many B cell cancers is correlated with an increased load of mutations. AID also promotes DNA strand breaks and is required for chromosomal translocations such as IgH/Myc in these tumors. We have previously showed that B cell cancer cell lines and patient tumors which express AID at high levels also have high levels of uracil in their genomic DNA. We accomplished this by excising the uracils using a uracil-DNA glycosylase (Ung) and labeled the resulting in an abasic site with an aldehyde reactive chemical (ARP). ARP contains a biotin tag and it was detected using a fluorescently labeled streptavidin. The results from this assay showed B cell tumors have as much as 100-fold higher levels of genomic uracils. Further development of this assay has allowed the detection of uracils in the blood plasma and buffy coat of B cell cancer patients. This “liquid biopsy” assay technique has the potential to work as a simple surveillance tool for B cell cancer patients who are in remission. In addition, we are exploring the possibility of a direct detection of uracil in DNA, which would provide greater sensitivity to this assay and simplify it. A unique uracil-DNA glycosylase was recently isolated from M. smegmatis, UdgX, that binds covalently to uracils in DNA. We are developing multiple ways to detect uracil-DNA-UdgX complexes and amplifying the resulting signal. We expect that this will allow us to directly visualize uracils in B-NHL tumors and detect uracils in circulating B-NHL tumor DNA from a drop of patient plasma. Citation Format: Jessica Stewart, Shanqiao Wei, Madhurima Datta, Umesh Varshney, Ashok Bhagwat. A novel uracil-DNA glycosylase, UdgX, as a new biochemical tool to directly detect uracils in DNA [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3802. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3802

Regulation of Activation Induced Deaminase (AID) by Estrogen.

Regulation of Activation Induced Deaminase (AID) by the hormone estrogen has important implications for understanding adaptive immune responses as well as the involvement of AID in autoimmune diseases and tumorigenesis. This chapter describes the general laboratory techniques for analyzing AID expression and activity induced by estrogen, focusing on the isolation and preparation of cells for hormone treatment and the subsequent analysis of AID responsiveness to estrogen at the RNA level and for determining the regulation of AID activity via estrogen by analyzing Ig switch circle transcripts and mutations in switch region loci.

AID-expressing epithelium is protected from oncogenic transformation by an NKG2D surveillance pathway.

Activation-induced deaminase (AID) initiates secondary antibody diversification in germinal center B cells, giving rise to higher affinity antibodies through somatic hypermutation (SHM) or to isotype-switched antibodies through class switch recombination (CSR). SHM and CSR are triggered by AID-mediated deamination of cytosines in immunoglobulin genes. Importantly, AID activity in B cells is not restricted to Ig loci and can promote mutations and pro-lymphomagenic translocations, establishing a direct oncogenic mechanism for germinal center-derived neoplasias. AID is also expressed in response to inflammatory cues in epithelial cells, raising the possibility that AID mutagenic activity might drive carcinoma development. We directly tested this hypothesis by generating conditional knock-in mouse models for AID overexpression in colon and pancreas epithelium. AID overexpression alone was not sufficient to promote epithelial cell neoplasia in these tissues, in spite of displaying mutagenic and genotoxic activity. Instead, we found that heterologous AID expression in pancreas promotes the expression of NKG2D ligands, the recruitment of CD8+ T cells, and the induction of epithelial cell death. Our results indicate that AID oncogenic potential in epithelial cells can be neutralized by immunosurveillance protective mechanisms.

Immunoglobulin and CD8+ T-cell distribution in histologically distinctive tonsils of individuals with tonsillar focal infection

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the common immunological mechanism, which involves aberration of immunoglobulin and T-cell distribution in histologically distinctive tonsils, may be associated with the pathogenesis of tonsillar focal infection. Objectives: Tonsillar focal infection comprises a group of relatively common diseases combined with chronic tonsillar infection, is associated with unusual immune responses in tonsils, and may cause lesions in another distant target organ. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of inflammatory T cells and T-cell regulatory elements, such as programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and Fork head box protein 3 (Foxp3), immunoglobulin production, and histological characteristics in tonsils from patients with tonsillar focal infection. Methods: Immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to compare the expression of CD8+ T cells, immunoglobulins, and cytokines associated with immunoglobulin production in the tonsils of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and chronic tonsillitis. Results: The overexpression of CD8+ T cells combined with decreased expression of Foxp3 and PD-1 and the aberration of immunoglobulin production, which may be due to the elevated expression of activation-induced deaminase (AID), B-cell-activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF), supporting isotype switching, and B-cell survival in the histologically distinctive tonsils.

ATAD5 deficiency decreases B cell division and Igh recombination.

Mammalian ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 5 (ATAD5) and its yeast homolog enhanced level of genomic instability 1 are responsible for unloading proliferating cell nuclear antigen from newly synthesized DNA. Prior work in HeLa and yeast cells showed that a decrease in ATAD5 protein levels resulted in accumulation of chromatin-bound proliferating cell nuclear antigen, slowed cell division, and increased genomic instability. In this study, B cells from heterozygous (Atad5(+/m)) mice were used to examine the effects of decreased cell proliferation on Ab diversity. ATAD5 haploinsufficiency did not change the frequency or spectrum of somatic hypermutation in Ab genes, indicating that DNA repair and error-prone DNA polymerase η usage were unaffected. However, immunized Atad5(+/m) mice had decreased serum IgG1 Abs, demonstrating a functional effect on class switch recombination. The mechanism of this altered immune response was then examined following ex vivo stimulation of splenic B cells, where Atad5(+/m) cells accumulated in the S phase of the cell cycle and had reduced proliferation compared with wild-type cells. These haploinsufficient cells underwent a significant decline in activation-induced deaminase expression, resulting in decreased switch region DNA double-strand breaks and interchromosomal translocations in the Igh locus. Class switch recombination to several isotypes was also reduced in Atad5(+/m) cells, although the types of end-joining pathways were not affected. These results describe a defect in DNA replication that affects Igh recombination via reduced cell division.

Demethylase Activity of Aid during Germinal Center B Cell Maturation Could Contribute to Lymphomagenesis

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) are aggressive tumors that arise from germinal center B cells (GCBs) and post-GCBs and are noted for their heterogeneity and variable clinical outcomes. Epigenetic modifications like DNA methylation of cytosine nucleotides have emerged as important mechanisms of gene regulation and have been implicated in carcinogenesis. Our previous genome-wide studies in primary samples revealed profound alterations in the cytosine methylation patterning of DLBCLs. We also found that expression of activation-induced deaminase (AID) was significantly associated with the loss of methylation in DLBCL patients and was predominantly identified within computationally predicted AID-binding RGYW motifs. AID is a cytidine deaminase required for class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation (SHM) of immunoglobulin genes in GCBs. The enzymatic machinery that mediates these processes is error-prone and may introduce point-mutations and changes in DNA methylation, resulting in genomic and epigenomic instability. Since AID can also function as a demethylase during embryonic development, we asked whether AID has demethylase activity during transit of B cells through the GCs and if its overexpression can contribute to lymphomagenesis through disrupting DNA methylation. To address this question, we studied the epigenetic function of AID in GCBs and GC-derived lymphomas. We characterized the methylome of naïve B cells (NBs) and GCBs isolated from human tonsils and spleens of immunized mice by enhanced Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (eRRBS). We observed that the transition from NBs to GCBs was characterized by DNA hypomethylation, with 60,000 and 8,000 differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs) that were hypomethylated in GCBs compared to NBs, in human and mouse respectively. We also found that hypomethylated regions were enriched for the putative AID binding site RGYW (Wilcoxon P <.001). Furthermore, AID knockdown in lymphoma cells (RAMOS) resulted in preferential hypermethylation at AID-binding sites (Chi square P ~ 0). We then isolated DNA from splenic NBs and GCBs from Aicda-/- (AID-deficient) and Aicda+/+ (wild type) mice and performed eRRBS analysis, obtaining single nucleotide resolution for 2.5-3 million represented CpGs. We observed that most of the 8,000 hypoDMCs identified between GCBs and NBs in Aicda+/+ mice were absent in Aicda-/- mice (800 hypoDMCs between GCBs and NBs Aicda-/- cells), implying that AID is a regulator of DNA methylation in GCBs. In addition, those AID-dependent hypoDMCs were predominantly localized in introns (35%), and also in promoters (10%) and exons (10%). We then defined differentially methylated regions (DMRs) based on the following criteria: ≥ 5 DMCs and methylation difference ≥10%, with >250bp between DMRs. We identified DMRs that get hypomethylated in GCBs in the Aicda+/+ mice, but are not hypomethylated in Aicda-/- GCBs, corresponding to >200 genes that represent AID epigenetic targets. These genes include factors involved in B cell function and differentiation like PAX5, BCL2L1, IRF8 and others. Not unexpectedly, many of epigenetic targets are also known targets for SHM, but some are novel targets that only demonstrate evidence of epigenetic deregulation. We also analyzed the transcriptome of NBs and GCBs from Aicda-/- and Aicda+/+ mice by RNA-seq and detected an increase in DNMT1 expression in Aicda-/- cells compared to Aicda+/+ cells. There were no significant changes in expression of other factors involved in modification of cytosine methylation, such as DNMT3a/3b, TET1/2/3, UNG or MSH2/6. Finally, we performed bone marrow transplantation experiments using VavP-Bcl2 mice, which are known to develop GC-derived lymphomas. We transplanted VavP-Bcl2 bone marrow cells infected with AID-expressing retroviral vectors into C57BL/6 mice and monitored the progression of the resulting BCL2-driven lymphomas. Our preliminary results indicate that high AID expression is correlated with a more aggressive phenotype of the disease. We are currently analyzing the epigenetic targets of AID in both normal GCBs and tumors, in order to find genes that could be epigenetically deregulated and contribute to the formation of lymphomas. Our results demonstrate for the first time that AID functions as a demethylase in GCBs in vivo and suggest that the epigenetic role of AID could contribute to lymphomagenesis. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Production of IgG autoantibody requires expression of activation-induced deaminase in early-developing B cells in a mouse model of SLE.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of pathogenic IgG antinuclear antibodies. Pathogenic IgG autoantibody production requires B-cell activation, leading to the production of activation-induced deaminase (AID) and class switching of IgM genes to IgG. To understand how and when B cells are activated to produce these IgG autoantibodies, we studied cells from 564Igi, a mouse model of SLE. 564Igi mice develop a disease profile closely resembling that found in human SLE patients, including the presence of IgG antinucleic acid Abs. We have generated 564Igi mice that conditionally express an activation-induced cytidine deaminase transgene (Aicda(tg) ), either in all B cells or only in mature B cells. Here, we show that class-switched pathogenic IgG autoantibodies were produced only in 564Igi mice in which AID was functional in early-developing B cells, resulting in loss of tolerance. Furthermore, we show that the absence of AID in early-developing B cells also results in increased production of self-reactive IgM, indicating that AID, through somatic hypermutation, contributes to tolerance. Our results suggest that the pathophysiology of clinical SLE might also be dependent on AID expression in early-developing B cells.

Immunoglobulin isotype switching during early B cell development (IRM8P.702)

Abstract During B cell lymphopoiesis in the bone marrow (BM), V(D)J joining assembles immunoglobulin (Ig) VH and VL genes mediated by RAG recombinase. Mature splenic B cells undergo class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation initiated by activation induced deaminase (AID). However, the strict ontological separation of these processes may breakdown under some circumstances. Several immunodeficiencies including Omenn syndrome display increased serum IgE despite undetectable numbers of B cells. We hypothesized that CSR occurs in BM pro- or pre-B cells. Earlier, we showed that Rag1 and Mb1 deficient pro-B cells can be induced to undergo robust CSR, albeit to a restricted subset of IgH isotypes, including IgG2b and IgE. Immunization of Rag1-/- mice with LPS, promoted IgG2b switching in BM pro-B cells. We demonstrated that V(D)J joining can be induced to follow CSR. We found a unique stage specific chromatin conformation of Igh locus in pro-B cells that may repress IgG3 and IgG1 switching (Genes Dev. 27:2439). Here we show that CSR is inducible in WT pro-B cells. Using an elegant mouse model to irreversibly mark AID expressing cells, a knockin carrying AIDcre/+RosaYFP (Nat Imm. 10:1292), we assess the frequency of AID expression in BM pro-B cells activated in vitro and in vivo with LPS. These findings have implications for the hyper-IgE phenotype in Omenn syndrome, autoimmune repertoire development and leukemagenesis via the co-expression of the RAG and AID recombinases.

ATAD5 deficiency decreases B cell division and Igh recombination (IRM8P.700)

Abstract Mammalian ATAD5 and its yeast homolog ELG1 are responsible for unloading PCNA from newly synthesized DNA. Prior work in HeLa and yeast cells showed that a decrease in ATAD5 protein levels resulted in accumulation of chromatin-bound PCNA and slower cell division. We used B cells from heterozygous (Atad5+/m) mice to examine the effects of PCNA buildup and decreased cell proliferation on antibody diversity. ATAD5 haploinsufficiency did not affect the frequency or spectrum of somatic hypermutation in antibody genes from Peyer’s patch B cells, indicating that PCNA accumulation did not alter DNA repair or DNA polymerase η usage at the Igh locus. However, following ex vivo stimulation, Atad5+/m B cells were delayed during S-phase cell cycle progression and had reduced cell proliferation compared to wild type cells. These cells had a significant decline in activation-induced deaminase expression, resulting in decreased double-strand breaks in the switch region and inter-chromosomal translocations. Class switch recombination was also reduced, although the types of end-joining pathways were not affected. Our results describe a defect in DNA replication that directly affects Igh recombination via reduced cell division.

AIDing Chromatin and Transcription-Coupled Orchestration of Immunoglobulin Class-Switch Recombination.

Secondary diversification of the antibody repertoire upon antigenic challenge, in the form of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) class-switch recombination (CSR) endows mature, naïve B cells in peripheral lymphoid organs with a limitless ability to mount an optimal humoral immune response, thus expediting pathogen elimination. CSR replaces the default constant (CH) region exons (Cμ) of IgH with any of the downstream CH exons (Cγ, Cε, or Cα), thereby altering effector functions of the antibody molecule. This process depends on, and is orchestrated by, activation-induced deaminase (AID), a DNA cytidine deaminase that acts on single-stranded DNA exposed during transcription of switch (S) region sequences at the IgH locus. DNA lesions thus generated are processed by components of several general DNA repair pathways to drive CSR. Given that AID can instigate DNA lesions and genomic instability, stringent checks are imposed that constrain and restrict its mutagenic potential. In this review, we will discuss how AID expression and substrate specificity and activity is rigorously enforced at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic levels, and how the DNA-damage response is choreographed with precision to permit targeted activity while limiting bystander catastrophe.

AID-Expressing Germinal Center B Cells Cluster Normally within Lymph Node Follicles in the Absence of FDC-M1+ CD35+ Follicular Dendritic Cells but Dissipate Prematurely

Upon activation with T-dependent Ag, B cells enter germinal centers (GC) and upregulate activation-induced deaminase (AID). AID(+) GC B cells then undergo class-switch recombination and somatic hypermutation. Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are stromal cells that underpin GC and require constitutive signaling through the lymphotoxin (LT) β receptor to be maintained in a fully mature, differentiated state. Although it was shown that FDC can be dispensable for the generation of affinity-matured Ab, in the absence of FDC it is unclear where AID expression occurs. In a mouse model that lacks mature FDC, as well as other LT-sensitive cells, we show that clusters of AID(+)PNA(+)GL7(+) Ag-specific GC B cells form within the B cell follicles of draining lymph nodes, suggesting that FDC are not strictly required for GC formation. However, later in the primary response, FDC-less GC dissipated prematurely, correlating with impaired affinity maturation. We examined whether GC dissipation was due to a lack of FDC or other LTβ receptor-dependent accessory cells and found that, in response to nonreplicating protein Ag, FDC proved to be more critical for long-term GC maintenance. Our study provides a spatial-temporal analysis of Ag-specific B cell activation and AID expression in the context of a peripheral lymph node that lacks FDC-M1(+) CD35(+) FDC and other LT-sensitive cell types, and reveals that FDC are not strictly required for the induction of AID within an organized GC-like environment.