Human B cell Differentiation in a Model system

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DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The differentiation of IgM+ B cells into Ab secreting cells occurs in response to an array of signals provided by activated CD4+ T cells. A critical molecule in this regard is the CD40 ligand (CD154) expressed by activated T cells which through its cognate interaction with CD40 on B cells drives the proliferation and differentiation of antigen-activated IgM+ B cells. The relationship between proximal CD40 signaling events and downstream functions are not fully elucidated however, it is known that this multi-step process requires that activation of numerous signal transduction pathways. Our laboratory has had an ongoing interest in defining the early cytokine- and CD40-mediated signals required for class switch recombination (CSR) in human B cells. Although the critical roles of these signals in CSR are well recognized, the molecular mechanisms utilized by B cells to integrate these distinct classes of signals are poorly characterized. We have identified a B cell immunodeficiency that is distinguished by defective responses to CD40 and IL-4 signaling. B cells from a young female patient (pt#1) diagnosed with hyper-IgM syndrome have normal expression of CD40 but are clearly deficient in a subset of CD40- and IL-4-responsive functions including CD23 expression and early signals required for switch recombination. One intriguing characteristic of the patient B cells is that under specific in vitro conditions they regain "functional responsiveness" and undergo switching in express downstream isotypes. We propose that the pt#1 defect is in an overlapping pathway important for both CD40- and IL-4-medicated B cell differentiation. To test this hypothesis, we propose to 1) identify signaling pathways that are directly affected by the pt#1 defect, 2) use CD23 and I-gamma promoter constructs to investigate transcription factor function, and 3) identify the defect using genetic complementation techniques. Completion of these studies should significantly increase our knowledge of how B cells utilize CD40 and IL-4 signaling cascades to activate CSR and B cell differentiation. Furthermore, results from these proposed experiments should increase our understanding of hyper-IgM syndrome by identifying a novel gene involved in the pathogenesis of this disease.