Lacking of Aiolos accelerates pre-mature B cell apoptosis mediated by BCR signaling through elevation in cytochrome c release

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2009 Jul;1793(7):1304-14. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2009.04.016. Epub 2009 May 7.

Abstract

Antigen binding to B cell receptor (BCR) of pre-mature B lymphocytes leads to their apoptosis, while binding to BCR of mature B lymphocytes induces their activation and proliferation. The former binding is believed to be a mechanism so as to exclude B cell clones leading to protection from auto-immune diseases. Cross-linking of BCR of pre-mature B cells, including chicken DT40 cells, with anti-immunoglobulin antibody induces their apoptosis. The PMA/ionomycin treatments, which mimic BCR stimulation, are used to study intracellular signal transduction of B lymphocytes. Here, by analyzing the Aiolos-deficient DT40 cell line, Aiolos(-/-), we reveal that the lack of Aiolos accelerates apoptosis of DT40 cells mediated by BCR signaling. Moreover, the Aiolos-deficiency and BCR signaling cooperatively control this apoptosis through dramatically elevated cytochrome c release from mitochondria to cytosol and elevated caspase (caspase-3, 8 and 9) activities, resulting in drastically diminished amounts of ICAD followed by increased DNA fragmentation. Re-expression study reveals that the shorter isoform of Aiolos (Aio-2) controls PMA/ionomycin-mediated apoptosis via up-regulation and down-regulation of the PKCdelta and bak genes, respectively. These findings could be a powerful trigger to resolve molecular mechanisms of negative selection of B lymphocytes and also auto-immune diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis*
  • Caspases / metabolism
  • Chick Embryo
  • Cytochromes c / metabolism*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor
  • Immunoblotting
  • Ionomycin / pharmacology
  • Ionophores / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / drug effects
  • Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / metabolism*
  • Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / pathology*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / metabolism*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Trans-Activators / physiology*

Substances

  • Ikzf3 protein, mouse
  • Ionophores
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell
  • Trans-Activators
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor
  • Ionomycin
  • Cytochromes c
  • Caspases