Biomedical subjects

Rachel M Gerstein

Publications and source records attributed to Rachel M Gerstein.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Transitional B cell fate is associated with developmental stage-specific regulation of diacylglycerol and calcium signaling upon B cell receptor engagement.

Functional peripheral mature follicular B (FoB) lymphocytes are thought to develop from immature transitional cells in a BCR-dependent manner. We have previously shown that BCR cross-linking in vitro results in death of early transitional (T1) B cells, whereas late transitional (T2) B cells survive and display phenotypic characteristics of mature FoB cells. We now demonstrate that diacylglycerol (DAG), a lipid second messenger implicated in cell survival and differentiation, is produced preferentially in T2 compared with T1 B cells upon BCR cross-linking. Consistently, inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate is also produced preferentially in T2 compared with T1 B cells. Unexpectedly, the initial calcium peak appears similar in both T1 and T2 B cells, whereas sustained calcium levels are higher in T1 B cells. Pretreatment with 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate, an inhibitor of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor-mediated calcium release, and verapamil, an inhibitor of L-type calcium channels, preferentially affects T1 B cells, suggesting that distinct mechanisms regulate calcium mobilization in each of the two transitional B cell subsets. Finally, BCR-mediated DAG production is dependent upon Bruton's tyrosine kinase and phospholipase C-gamma2, enzymes required for the development of FoB from T2 B cells. These results suggest that calcium signaling in the absence of DAG-mediated signals may lead to T1 B cell tolerance, whereas the combined action of DAG and calcium signaling is necessary for survival and differentiation of T2 into mature FoB lymphocytes.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Notch signaling controls the generation and differentiation of early T lineage progenitors.

Signaling by the transmembrane receptor Notch is critical for T lineage development, but progenitor subsets that first receive Notch signals have not been defined. Here we identify an immature subset of early T lineage progenitors (ETPs) in the thymus that expressed the tyrosine kinase receptor Flt3 and had preserved B lineage potential at low progenitor frequency. Notch signaling was active in ETPs and was required for generation of the ETP population. Additionally, Notch signals contributed to the subsequent differentiation of ETPs. In contrast, multipotent hematopoietic progenitors circulated in the blood even in the absence of Notch signaling, suggesting that critical Notch signals during early T lineage development are delivered early after thymic entry.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Divide and conquer: division of labor by B-1 B cells.

Capsular polysaccharides enhance bacterial virulence. In this issue of Immunity, demonstrate a division of labor between the B-1 B cell subsets: natural antibodies from B-1a cells limit infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae, whereas B-1b cells generate the anticapsule-induced response that prevents fatal infection.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Bone marrow microenvironmental changes in aged mice compromise V(D)J recombinase activity and B cell generation.

B cell generation and immunoglobulin (Ig) diversity in mice is compromised with aging. Our recent work sought to understand mechanism(s) that contribute to reduced B cell production in aged mice. Using in vivo labeling, we found that reduction in marrow pre-B cells reflects increased attrition during passage from the pro-B to pre-B cell pool. Analyses of reciprocal bone marrow (BM) chimeras reveal that the production rates of pre-B cells are controlled primarily by microenvironmental factors, rather than intrinsic events. To understand changes in pro-B cells that could diminish production of pre-B cells, we evaluated rag2 expression and V(D)J recombinase activity in pro-B cells at the single cell level. The percentage of pro-B cells that express rag2 is reduced in aged mice and is correlated with both a loss of V(D)J recombinase activity in pro-B cells and reduced numbers of pre-B cells. Reciprocal BM chimeras revealed that the aged microenvironment also determines rag2 expression and recombinase activity in pro-B cells. These observations suggest that extrinsic factors in the BM that decline with age are largely responsible for less efficient V(D)J recombination in pro-B cells and diminished progression to the pre-B cell stage. These extrinsic factors may include cytokines and chemokines derived from BM stromal cells that are essential to the development of B cell precursors. The changes during aging within the BM hematopoietic microenvironment most likely are linked to the physiology of aging bone. Bone degrades with age (osteoporosis) due to decreased formation of new bone by osteoblasts. Marrow stem cells (MSC) are considered the progenitor of both adipocytes, osteoblasts and hematopoietic stromal cells and a controlled reciprocal regulation exists of osteoblast versus adipocyte differentiation; with age adipocytes increase, and osteoblast decrease. It is possible that stromal cell generation from MSC is compromised during aging. Currently, understanding of BM microenvironmental factors that regulate rag gene expression is very limited. However, as early progenitors differentiate, it is increasing clear that a limited set of transcription factors (e.g. ikaros, PU.1, E2A, EBF, pax5) regulate B-lineage specific genes, and that expression and stability of these factors is responsive to the microenvironment. Current and future work by several groups will strive to understand mechanisms that regulate these factors and how aging impacts these regulatory circuits.

Aging↗

PubMed2004

Bone marrow microenvironmental changes underlie reduced RAG-mediated recombination and B cell generation in aged mice.

During aging, adaptive immunity is severely compromised, due in part to decreased production of B lymphocytes and loss of immunoglobulin (Ig) diversity. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie age-associated diminished B cell production remain unclear. Using in vivo labeling, we find that this reduction in marrow pre-B cells reflects increased attrition during passage from the pro-B to pre-B cell pool. Analyses of reciprocal bone marrow chimeras reveal that the magnitude and production rates of pre-B cells are controlled primarily by microenvironmental factors, rather than intrinsic events. To understand changes in pro-B cells that could diminish production of pre-B cells, we evaluated rag2 expression and V(D)J recombinase activity in pro-B cells at the single cell level. The percentage of pro-B cells that express rag2 is reduced in aged mice and is correlated with both a loss of V(D)J recombinase activity in pro-B cells and reduced numbers of pre-B cells. Reciprocal bone marrow chimeras revealed that the aged microenvironment also determines rag2 expression and recombinase activity in pro-B cells. Together, these observations suggest that extrinsic factors in the bone marrow that decline with age are largely responsible for less efficient V(D)J recombination in pro-B cells and diminished progression to the pre-B cell stage.

Aging↗

PubMed2004

B lineage-specific regulation of V(D)J recombinase activity is established in common lymphoid progenitors.

Expression of V(D)J recombinase activity in developing lymphocytes is absolutely required for initiation of V(D)J recombination at antigen receptor loci. However, little is known about when during hematopoietic development the V(D)J recombinase is first active, nor is it known what elements activate the recombinase in multipotent hematopoietic progenitors. Using mice that express a fluorescent transgenic V(D)J recombination reporter, we show that the V(D)J recombinase is active as early as common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) but not in the upstream progenitors that retain myeloid lineage potential. Evidence of this recombinase activity is detectable in all four progeny lineages (B, T, and NK, and DC), and rag2 levels are the highest in progenitor subsets immediately downstream of the CLP. By single cell PCR, we demonstrate that V(D)J rearrangements are detectable at IgH loci in approximately 5% of splenic natural killer cells. Finally, we show that recombinase activity in CLPs is largely controlled by the Erag enhancer. As activity of the Erag enhancer is restricted to the B cell lineage, this provides the first molecular evidence for establishment of a lineage-specific transcription program in multipotent progenitors.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Developmental separation of V(D)J recombinase expression and initiation of IgH recombination in B lineage progenitors in vivo.

In B lineage progenitors, V(D)J recombination occurs only during distinct stages of development and is restricted to immunoglobulin loci. This process is thought to be controlled by both regulated expression of the V(D)J recombinase and by limited accessibility of target loci to the recombinase complex. However, it is unknown whether these two processes occur concomitantly in developing B lineage progenitors or whether these events are temporally distinct and, therefore, potentially independently regulated. To distinguish between these possibilities, we developed a transgenic V(D)J recombination substrate that is not governed by the same chromatin remodeling constraints as endogenous immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) loci and examined the requirements for V(D)J recombination to initiate in early B lineage progenitors. We find that single B lineage precursors express an active V(D)J recombinase in vivo before the stage when IgH rearrangements are frequently detectable. Our results indicate that the onset of recombinase activity and the initiation of IgH recombination are developmentally distinct events in the B lineage.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

B1b lymphocytes confer T cell-independent long-lasting immunity.

Many microbial pathogens employ antigenic variation as a strategy to evade the immune system, posing a challenge in vaccine development. To understand the requirements for immunity against such pathogens, we studied Borrelia hermsii, a relapsing fever bacterium. We found that mice deficient in T, follicular B, marginal zone B, or B1a lymphocytes resolved B. hersmii bacteremia and became resistant to reinfection. The resolution of bacteremia coincided with an expansion and persistence of B1b lymphocytes, and purified B1b lymphocytes from convalescent wild-type or TCR-betaxdelta-/- mice conferred immunity to Rag1-/- mice. The B1b lymphocytes in the reconstituted Rag1-/- mice provided long-lasting immunity by rapidly generating B. hermsii-specific IgM but not IgG upon bacterial challenge. Unmutated IgM is sufficient to eliminate B. hermsii, because AID-/- mice deficient in somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination efficiently resolved all bacteremic episodes. These data demonstrate that B1b lymphocytes can provide long-lasting T cell-independent IgM memory.

Adoptive Transfer↗

PubMed2003

The resolution of relapsing fever borreliosis requires IgM and is concurrent with expansion of B1b lymphocytes.

The rate of pathogen clearance is a critical determinant of morbidity and mortality. We sought to characterize the immune response responsible for the remarkably rapid clearance of individual episodes of bacteremia caused by the relapsing fever bacterium, Borrelia hermsii. SCID or Rag(-/-) mice were incapable of resolving B. hermsii infection, indicating a critical role for T and/or B cells. TCR(-/-) mice, which lack T cells, and IL-7(-/-) mice, which are deficient in both T cells and follicular B cells, but not in B1 cells and splenic marginal zone (MZ) B cells, efficiently cleared B. hermsii. These findings suggested that B1 cells and/or MZ B cells, two B cell subsets that are known to participate in rapid, T-independent responses, might be involved. The efficient resolution of the episodes of moderate level bacteremia by splenectomized mice suggested that MZ B cells do not play the primary role in clearance of this bacterium. In contrast, xid mice, which are deficient in B1 cells, suffered more severe episodes of bacteremia than wild-type mice. The hypothesis that B1 cells are critical for clearance of B. hermsii was further supported by a selective expansion of the B1b (i.e., IgM(high), IgD(-/low), Mac1(+) CD23(-), and CD5(-)) cell subset in infected xid mice, which coincided with the eventual resolution of infection. Finally, mice selectively incapable of secreting IgM, the dominant isotype produced by B1 cells, were completely unable to clear B. hermsii. Together these results support the model that B1b cells generate the T-independent IgM required for the control and resolution of relapsing fever borreliosis.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Transitional type 1 and 2 B lymphocyte subsets are differentially responsive to antigen receptor signaling.

Mature B-lymphocytes develop sequentially from transitional type 1 (T1) and type 2 (T2) precursors in the spleen. To elucidate the mechanisms that regulate the developmental fate of these distinct B cell subsets, we investigated their biochemical and biological responses following stimulation through the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR). As compared with the T1 subset, T2 cells are more responsive to BCR engagement, as evidenced by their robust induction of activation markers, expression of the prosurvival protein Bcl-x(L), and enhanced proliferation. BCR stimulation of T2 cells leads to the appearance of B cells with mature phenotypic characteristics, whereas T1 cells die. All of these T2 responses are dependent on the BCR signal transducer Bruton's tyrosine kinase, which is dispensable for the T1 to T2 transition. Furthermore, the serine/threonine kinases ERK, p38 MAPK, and Akt are predominantly activated in T2 compared with T1 B cells following BCR cross-linking. We conclude that T1 and T2 B cells respond differentially to BCR engagement via the induction of stage-specific signaling pathways. In turn, these signaling pathways probably govern the development and selection processes that are critical for the formation of the mature B cell compartment.

Animals↗