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Efficient generation of B lymphocytes by recognition of self-antigens.

ABSTRACT: Antibody diversity is generated by a random gene recombination process with the inherent risk of the production of autoreactive specificities. The current view suggests that B cells expressing such specificities are negatively selected at an early developmental stage. Using the knock-in model system of the 3-83 autoreactive B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) in combination with precursor-BCR (pre-BCR) deficiency, we show here that the 3-83 BCR mediates efficient generation of B cells in the presence, but not the absence, of a strongly recognized auto-antigen. Experiments with mixed bone marrow chimeras showed that combining the 3-83 BCR with the corresponding auto-antigen resulted in efficient reconstitution of B-cell development in immune-deficient mice. These results suggest that B cells are positively selected by recognition of self-antigens during developmental stages that precede receptor editing. Moreover, the data indicate that the pre-BCR functions as a specialized autoreactive BCR to initiate positive selection at a stage where the cells express immunoglobulin heavy but not light chains.

SUBMITTER: Eschbach C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3302163 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Efficient generation of B lymphocytes by recognition of self-antigens.

Eschbach Cathrin C Bach Martina P MP Fidler Ingrid I Pelanda Roberta R Köhler Fabian F Rajewsky Klaus K Jumaa Hassan H

European journal of immunology 20110704 8

Antibody diversity is generated by a random gene recombination process with the inherent risk of the production of autoreactive specificities. The current view suggests that B cells expressing such specificities are negatively selected at an early developmental stage. Using the knock-in model system of the 3-83 autoreactive B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) in combination with precursor-BCR (pre-BCR) deficiency, we show here that the 3-83 BCR mediates efficient generation of B cells in the presence, ...[more]

PMID: 21604259

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Project description:A hallmark of the gluten-driven enteropathy celiac disease is autoantibody production towards the enzyme transglutaminase 2 (TG2) that catalyzes the formation of covalent protein-protein cross-links. Activation of TG2-specific B cells likely involves gluten-specific CD4 T cells as production of the antibodies is dependent on disease-associated HLA-DQ allotypes and dietary intake of gluten. IgA plasma cells producing TG2 antibodies with few mutations are abundant in the celiac gut lesion. These plasma cells and serum antibodies to TG2 drop rapidly after initiation of a gluten-free diet, suggestive of extrafollicular responses or germinal center reactions of short duration. High antigen avidity is known to promote such responses, and is also important for breakage of self-tolerance. We here inquired whether TG2 avidity could be a feature relevant to celiac disease. Using recombinant enzyme we show by dynamic light scattering and gel electrophoresis that TG2 efficiently utilizes itself as a substrate due to conformation-dependent homotypic association, which involves the C-terminal domains of the enzyme. This leads to the formation of covalently linked TG2 multimers. The presence of exogenous substrate such as gluten peptide does not inhibit TG2 self-cross-linking, but rather results in formation of TG2-TG2-gluten complexes. The celiac disease autoantibody epitopes, clustered in the N-terminal part of TG2, are conserved in the TG2-multimers as determined by mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation analysis. TG2 multimers are superior to TG2 monomer in activating A20 B cells transduced with TG2-specific B-cell receptor, and uptake of TG2-TG2-gluten multimers leads to efficient activation of gluten-specific T cells. Efficient catalytic self-multimerization of TG2 and generation of multivalent TG2 antigen decorated with gluten peptides suggest a mechanism by which self-reactive B cells are activated to give abundant numbers of plasma cells in celiac disease. Importantly, high avidity of the antigen could explain why TG2-specific plasma cells show signs of an extrafollicular generation pathway.

Dataset Information

Efficient generation of B lymphocytes by recognition of self-antigens.

Publications

Efficient generation of B lymphocytes by recognition of self-antigens.

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