The error-prone V(D)J recombination process generates considerable amounts of nonproductive immunoglobulin (Ig) pre-mRNAs. We recently demonstrated that aberrant Ig chains lacking variable (V) domains can be produced after nonsense-associated altered splicing (NAS) events. Remarkably, the expression of these truncated Ig polypeptides heightens endoplasmic reticulum stress and shortens plasma cell (PC) lifespan. Many questions remain regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying this new truncated Ig exclusion (TIE-) checkpoint and its restriction to the ultimate stage of B-cell differentiation. To address these issues, we evaluated the extent of NAS of Ig pre-mRNAs using an Ig heavy chain (IgH) knock-in model that allows for uncoupling of V exon skipping from TIE-induced apoptosis. We found high levels of V exon skipping in PCs compared with B cells, and this skipping was correlated with a biallelic boost in IgH transcription during PC differentiation. Chromatin analysis further revealed that the skipped V exon turned into a pseudo-intron. Finally, we showed that hypertranscription of Ig genes facilitated V exon skipping upon passive administration of splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). Thus, V exon skipping is coupled to transcription and increases as PC differentiation proceeds, likely explaining the late occurrence of the TIE-checkpoint and opening new avenues for ASO-mediated strategies in PC disorders.

Previous studies and our findings suggest upregulated expression of proinflammatory chemokines CCL3/4 in germinal center (GC) centrocytes. However, the role of CCL3/4 for centrocyte interactions with follicular T cells and regulation of humoral immunity is poorly understood. We found that CCL3 promotes chemotaxis of Tfr cells ex vivo. Two-photon imaging revealed that B cells-intrinsic production of CCL3 promotes their probing by follicular regulatory T cells (Tfr) within GCs of murine lymph nodes. Overall this study suggests that CCL3 facilitates direct interactions of foreign antigen-specific GC B cells and their negative regulation with Tfr cells in vivo.

Pro- and anti-inflammatory effector functions of IgG antibodies (Abs) depend on their subclass and Fc glycosylation pattern. Accumulation of non-galactosylated (agalactosylated; G0) IgG Abs in the serum of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients reflects severity of the diseases. In contrast, sialylated IgG Abs are responsible for anti-inflammatory effects of the intravenous immunoglobulin (pooled human serum IgG from healthy donors), administered in high doses (2 g/kg) to treat autoimmune patients. However, whether low amounts of sialylated autoantigen-reactive IgG Abs can also inhibit autoimmune diseases is hardly investigated. Here, we explore whether sialylated autoantigen-reactive IgG Abs can inhibit autoimmune pathology in different mouse models. We found that sialylated IgG auto-Abs fail to induce inflammation and lupus nephritis in a B cell receptor (BCR) transgenic lupus model, but instead are associated with lower frequencies of pathogenic Th1, Th17 and B cell responses. In accordance, the transfer of small amounts of immune complexes containing sialylated IgG Abs was sufficient to attenuate the development of nephritis. We further showed that administration of sialylated collagen type II (Col II)-specific IgG Abs attenuated the disease symptoms in a model of Col II-induced arthritis and reduced pathogenic Th17 cell and autoantigen-specific IgG Ab responses. We conclude that sialylated autoantigen-specific IgG Abs may represent a promising tool for treating pathogenic T and B cell immune responses in autoimmune diseases.

The phenotypic characterization of self-reactive B cells producing autoantibodies is one of the challenges to get further insight in the physiopathology of autoimmune diseases. We took advantage of our previously developed flow cytometry method, using labeled nucleosomes, prominent autoantigens in systemic lupus erythematosus, to analyze the phenotype of self-reactive B cells in the anti-DNA B6.56R mouse model. We showed that splenic anti-nucleosome B cells express mostly kappa light chains and harbor a marginal zone phenotype. Moreover, these autoreactive B cells fail to acquire a germinal center phenotype and are less abundant in the transitional T3 compartment. In conclusion, the direct detection of autoreactive B cells helped determine their phenotypic characteristics and provided a more direct insight into the B cell tolerance process in B6.56R mice. This method constitutes an interesting new tool to study the mechanisms of B cell tolerance breakdown in B6.56R mice crossed with autoimmune prone models.

A common genetic variant in the gene encoding the protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 22 (PTPN22 C1858T) has been linked to a wide range of autoimmune disorders. Although a B cell-intrinsic role in promoting disease has been reported, the mechanism(s) through which this variant functions to alter the preimmune B cell repertoire remains unknown. Using a series of polyclonal and transgenic self-reactive models harboring the analogous mutation in murine Ptpn22, we show evidence for enhanced BCR, B cell-activating factor receptor, and CD40 coreceptor programs, leading to broadly enhanced positive selection of B cells at two discrete checkpoints in the bone marrow and spleen. We further identified a bias for selection of B cells into the follicular mature versus marginal zone B cell compartment. Using a biomarker to track a self-reactive H chain in peripheral blood, we found evidence of similarly enhanced positive selection in human carriers of the PTPN22 C1858T variant. Our combined data support a model whereby the risk variant augments the BCR and coreceptor programs throughout B cell development, promoting enrichment of self-reactive specificities into the follicular mature compartment and thereby likely increasing the risk for seeding of autoimmune B cell responses.
Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.