Somatic hypermutation (SHM) drives the genetic diversity of Ig genes in activated B cells and supports the generation of Abs with increased affinity for Ag. SHM is targeted to Ig genes by their enhancers (diversification activators [DIVACs]), but how the enhancers mediate this activity is unknown. We show using chicken DT40 B cells that highly active DIVACs increase the phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and Pol II occupancy in the mutating gene with little or no accompanying increase in elongation-competent Pol II or production of full-length transcripts, indicating accumulation of stalled Pol II. DIVAC has similar effect also in human Ramos Burkitt lymphoma cells. The DIVAC-induced stalling is weakly associated with an increase in the detection of ssDNA bubbles in the mutating target gene. We did not find evidence for antisense transcription, or that DIVAC functions by altering levels of H3K27ac or the histone variant H3.3 in the mutating gene. These findings argue for a connection between Pol II stalling and cis-acting targeting elements in the context of SHM and thus define a mechanistic basis for locus-specific targeting of SHM in the genome. Our results suggest that DIVAC elements render the target gene a suitable platform for AID-mediated mutation without a requirement for increasing transcriptional output.

• MeSH
• aktivace lymfocytů MeSH
• Burkittův lymfom genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• cytidindeaminasa genetika   MeSH
• genetická transkripce MeSH
• imunoglobuliny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• kur domácí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mutace genetika   MeSH
• mutageneze cílená MeSH
• podskupiny B-lymfocytů imunologie   MeSH
• ptačí proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA-polymerasa II genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• rozmanitost protilátek MeSH
• somatická hypermutace imunoglobulinových genů MeSH
• zesilovače transkripce genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) introduces point mutations into immunoglobulin (Ig) genes but also causes mutations in other parts of the genome. We have used lentiviral SHM reporter vectors to identify regions of the genome that are susceptible ("hot") and resistant ("cold") to SHM, revealing that SHM susceptibility and resistance are often properties of entire topologically associated domains (TADs). Comparison of hot and cold TADs reveals that while levels of transcription are equivalent, hot TADs are enriched for the cohesin loader NIPBL, super-enhancers, markers of paused/stalled RNA polymerase 2, and multiple important B cell transcription factors. We demonstrate that at least some hot TADs contain enhancers that possess SHM targeting activity and that insertion of a strong Ig SHM-targeting element into a cold TAD renders it hot. Our findings lead to a model for SHM susceptibility involving the cooperative action of cis-acting SHM targeting elements and the dynamic and architectural properties of TADs.

• MeSH
• cytidindeaminasa genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• HEK293 buňky MeSH
• Lentivirus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mutace genetika   MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• plazmidy genetika   MeSH
• RNA-polymerasa II genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• somatická hypermutace imunoglobulinových genů genetika   MeSH
• zesilovače transkripce genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH