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Projekt Druckansicht

Regulation der B-Zellaktivierung durch Swiprosin-1/EFhd2

Fachliche Zuordnung Immunologie
Förderung Förderung von 2007 bis 2014
Projektkennung Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 31394370
 
Erstellungsjahr 2014

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

Establishment of the peripheral B cell repertoire and control of antigen-specific B cell activation are key to adaptive immunity. Signals elicited by the B cell receptor (BCR) play central roles in these processes. BCR signalling can lead to apoptosis or anergy of developing B cells. Signals from the BCR also control the selection of antigen-specific B cells in germinal centers (GC) during T cell-dependent immune responses. The function of the BCR involves numerous co-receptors and signalling adaptor proteins that remain to be fully characterized. We recently found that Swiprosin-1/EFhd2 (EFhd2), which is a Ca2+ binding adaptor protein, contributes to BCR-induced Ca2+ signalling and apoptosis in B cell lines. The first aim of this project was the generation of conditionally EFhd2 deficient mice. The second aim was to analyze B cell development and induced humoral immunity in EFhd2 deficient mice. It had been suggested moreover that EFhd2 is a cytoskeletal protein. The third aim of this project was therefore to analyze the mechanism of EFhd2-promoted apoptosis in B cells by taking into account cytoskeletal pathways. We were able to generate constitutively EFhd2-deficient mice and mice carrying a conditionally deletable efhd2 allele. Genetic inactivation of EFhd2 resulted in an accumulation of transitional, especially T3 B cells (AA4+CD23+IgMlow), which are suspected to represent self-reactive anergic B cells, in mixed bone marrow chimeras. In addition, EFhd2-/- mice displayed increased antibody responses after immunization with sheep red blood cells (IgG1, IgG2), or primary and secondary helminth infection, in this case with strongly increased serum IgM, IgG1, and IgE. These mutant mice additionally showed accelerated and enhanced GC responses after challenge with sheep red blood cells or helminths. This propensity to increased humoral immunity was also reflected by the fact that EFhd2-/- mice spontaneously developed anti-dsDNA IgG antibodies. In order to decipher how EFhd2 contributed to B cell responses we analyzed BCR induced signaling pathways and cytoskeletal changes. We observed altered BCR induced cell spreading, BCR trafficking and lysosomal structures in EFhd2-deficient B cells. BCR induced Ca2+ signaling was unaltered but EFhd2 appeared to control dephosphorylation of the F-Actin severing factor Codillin. Finally, we identified and confirmed several cytoskeletal interaction partners of EFhd2 in B cells. In summary, we showed that EFhd2 limits humoral immunity and we provide evidence that EFhd2 is involved in cytoskeletal pathways in B cells.

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

 
 

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