Project description:Activation of splenic B cells induces formation of a 220kb DNA loop between Em and 3â??RR enhancers in the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH). This DNA loop has been proposed to be necessary for the crucial immune diversification mechanism of IgH class switch recombination, but the factors that control its formation are unknown. We show that conditional deletion of transcription factor YY1 in primary splenic B cells results in a dramatic drop in formation of this DNA loop, as well as immunoglobulin class switch recombination. Reconstitution of YY1-deleted splenic B cells with various YY1 mutants showed that the C-terminal half of YY1 lacking the transactivation domain restored both Em-3â??RR DNA loop formation as well as class switch recombination. RNA transcript analyses of YY1 conditional deleted splenic B cells suggest that YY1 does not regulate genes needed for DNA looping or CSR. Our results argue for a direct physical mechanism of YY1 mediating long-distance DNA loops and provide strong evidence of the importance of this DNA loop for class switching. Our results provide foundational mechanistic insight into a crucial immune function. Follicular B cells were isolated from the spleens of three C57Bl/6 yy1 fl/fl mice. For each spleen, half the cells received mock treatment and half received TATCRE. The 6 samples were then grown in RPMI medium along with LPS, Il4, OPI, and 20% FBS for 72 hours. The 6 groups of cells were lysed and RNA was isolated for library preparation. Expression differences between Mock and TATCRE treated cells were determined to understand the role of yy1 in B cell class switching.
Project description:Activation of splenic B cells induces formation of a 220kb DNA loop between Em and 3’RR enhancers in the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH). This DNA loop has been proposed to be necessary for the crucial immune diversification mechanism of IgH class switch recombination, but the factors that control its formation are unknown. We show that conditional deletion of transcription factor YY1 in primary splenic B cells results in a dramatic drop in formation of this DNA loop, as well as immunoglobulin class switch recombination. Reconstitution of YY1-deleted splenic B cells with various YY1 mutants showed that the C-terminal half of YY1 lacking the transactivation domain restored both Em-3’RR DNA loop formation as well as class switch recombination. RNA transcript analyses of YY1 conditional deleted splenic B cells suggest that YY1 does not regulate genes needed for DNA looping or CSR. Our results argue for a direct physical mechanism of YY1 mediating long-distance DNA loops and provide strong evidence of the importance of this DNA loop for class switching. Our results provide foundational mechanistic insight into a crucial immune function.
Project description:Activation-induced deaminase (AID) is an enzyme required for class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM), processes that ensure antibody maturation and expression of different immunoglobulin isotypes. AID function is tightly regulated by tissue- and stage-specific expression, nuclear localization, and protein stability. Transcription factor YY1 is crucial for early B cell development, but its function at late B cell stages is unknown. Here, we show that YY1 conditional knockout in activated splenic B cells interferes with CSR. Knockout of YY1 did not affect B cell proliferation, transcription of the AID and IgM genes, or levels of various switch region germ line transcripts. However, we show that YY1 physically interacts with AID and controls the accumulation of nuclear AID, at least in part, by increasing nuclear AID stability. We show for the first time that YY1 plays a novel role in CSR and controls nuclear AID protein levels.
Project description:The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and Artemis are classical nonhomologous DNA end-joining (C-NHEJ) factors required for joining a subset of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), particularly those requiring end processing. In mature B cells, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates class switch recombination (CSR) by introducing lesions into S regions upstream of two recombining C(H) exons, which are processed into DSBs and rejoined by C-NHEJ to complete CSR. The function of DNA-PKcs in CSR has been controversial with some reports but not others showing that DNA-PKcs-deficient mice are significantly impaired for CSR. Artemis-deficient B cells reportedly undergo CSR at normal levels. Overall, it is still not known whether there are any CSR-associated DSBs that require DNA-PKcs and/or Artemis to be joined. Here, we have used an immunoglobulin (Ig)H locus-specific fluorescent in situ hybridization assay to unequivocally demonstrate that both DNA-PKcs and, unexpectedly, Artemis are necessary for joining a subset of AID-dependent DSBs. In the absence of either factor, B cells activated for CSR frequently generate AID-dependent IgH locus chromosomal breaks and translocations. We also find that under specific activation conditions, DNA-PKcs(-/-) B cells with chromosomal breaks are eliminated or at least prevented from progressing to metaphase via a p53-dependent response.
Project description:The immunoglobulin heavy-chain switch is mediated by a recombination event between DNA switch regions associated with donor and recipient constant-region genes. We have determined that the mutations which can be found in some switch regions after recombination appear to arise on only one strand of DNA. This result suggests that switch recombination involves error-prone synthesis of one DNA strand and ligation of the other strand from preexisting DNA.
Project description:Immunoglobulin class-switch recombination deficiencies (Ig-CSR-Ds) are rare primary immunodeficiencies characterized by defective switched isotype (IgG/IgA/IgE) production. Depending on the molecular defect in question, the Ig-CSR-D may be combined with an impairment in somatic hypermutation (SHM). Some of the mechanisms underlying Ig-CSR and SHM have been described by studying natural mutants in humans. This approach has revealed that T cell-B cell interaction (resulting in CD40-mediated signaling), intrinsic B-cell mechanisms (activation-induced cytidine deaminase-induced DNA damage), and complex DNA repair machineries (including uracil-N-glycosylase and mismatch repair pathways) are all involved in class-switch recombination and SHM. However, several of the mechanisms required for full antibody maturation have yet to be defined. Elucidation of the molecular defects underlying the diverse set of Ig-CSR-Ds is essential for understanding Ig diversification and has prompted better definition of the clinical spectrum of diseases and the development of increasingly accurate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Project description:Immunoglobulin heavy chain class switch recombination (CSR) requires targeted formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in repetitive switch region elements followed by ligation between distal breaks. The introduction of DSBs is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and requires base excision repair (BER) and mismatch repair (MMR). The BER enzyme methyl-CpG binding domain protein 4 (MBD4) has been linked to the MMR pathway through its interaction with MutL homologue 1 (MLH1). We find that when Mbd4 exons 6 to 8 are deleted in a switching B cell line, DSB formation is severely reduced and CSR frequency is impaired. Impaired CSR can be rescued by ectopic expression of Mbd4 Mbd4 deficiency yields a deficit in DNA end processing similar to that found in MutS homologue 2 (Msh2)- and Mlh1-deficient B cells. We demonstrate that microhomology-rich S-S junctions are enriched in cells in which Mbd4 is deleted. Our studies suggest that Mbd4 is a component of MMR-directed DNA end processing.
Project description:The ability of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to efficiently mediate class-switch recombination (CSR) is dependent on its phosphorylation at Ser38; however, the trigger that induces AID phosphorylation and the mechanism by which phosphorylated AID drives CSR have not been elucidated. Here we found that phosphorylation of AID at Ser38 was induced by DNA breaks. Conversely, in the absence of AID phosphorylation, DNA breaks were not efficiently generated at switch (S) regions in the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus (Igh), consistent with a failure of AID to interact with the endonuclease APE1. Additionally, deficiency in the DNA-damage sensor ATM impaired the phosphorylation of AID at Ser38 and the interaction of AID with APE1. Our results identify a positive feedback loop for the amplification of DNA breaks at S regions through the phosphorylation- and ATM-dependent interaction of AID with APE1.
Project description:To generate highly specific and adapted immune responses, B cells diversify their antibody repertoire through mechanisms involving the generation of programmed DNA damage. Somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR) are initiated by the recruitment of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to immunoglobulin loci and by the subsequent generation of DNA lesions, which are differentially processed to mutations during SHM or to double-stranded DNA break intermediates during CSR. The latter activate the DNA damage response and mobilize multiple DNA repair factors, including Parp1 and Parp2, to promote DNA repair and long-range recombination. We examined the contribution of Parp3 in CSR and SHM. We find that deficiency in Parp3 results in enhanced CSR, while SHM remains unaffected. Mechanistically, this is due to increased occupancy of AID at the donor (S?) switch region. We also find evidence of increased levels of DNA damage at switch region junctions and a bias towards alternative end joining in the absence of Parp3. We propose that Parp3 plays a CSR-specific role by controlling AID levels at switch regions during CSR.
Project description:Immunoglobulin class switch recombination (CSR) occurs in activated B cells with increased mitochondrial mass and membrane potential. Transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is critical for CSR and for formation of the DNA loops involved in this process. We therefore sought to determine if YY1 knockout impacts mitochondrial gene expression and mitochondrial function in murine splenic B cells, providing a potential mechanism for regulating CSR. We identified numerous genes in splenic B cells differentially regulated when cells are induced to undergo CSR. YY1 conditional knockout caused differential expression of 1129 genes, with 59 being mitochondrial-related genes. ChIP-seq analyses showed YY1 was directly bound to nearly half of these mitochondrial-related genes. Surprisingly, at the time when YY1 knockout dramatically reduces DNA loop formation and CSR, mitochondrial mass and membrane potential were not significantly impacted, nor was there a significant change in mitochondrial oxygen consumption, extracellular acidification rate, or mitochondrial complex I or IV activities. Our results indicate that YY1 regulates numerous mitochondrial-related genes in splenic B cells, but this does not account for the impact of YY1 on CSR or long-distance DNA loop formation.