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
• AICDA (aktivací indukovaná cytidindeamináza) 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
• Názvy látek
• AICDA (aktivací indukovaná cytidindeamináza) MeSH
• cytidindeaminasa MeSH
• imunoglobuliny MeSH
• ptačí proteiny MeSH
• RNA-polymerasa II MeSH

Secondary diversification of the Ig repertoire occurs through somatic hypermutation (SHM), gene conversion (GCV), and class switch recombination (CSR)-three processes that are initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). AID targets Ig genes at orders of magnitude higher than the rest of the genome, but the basis for this specificity is poorly understood. We have previously demonstrated that enhancers and enhancer-like sequences from Ig genes are capable of stimulating SHM of neighboring genes in a capacity distinct from their roles in increasing transcription. Here, we use an in vitro proteomics approach to identify E-box, MEF2, Ets, and Ikaros transcription factor family members as potential binders of these enhancers. ChIP assays in the hypermutating Ramos B cell line confirmed that many of these factors bound the endogenous Igλ enhancer and/or the IgH intronic enhancer (Eμ) in vivo. Further investigation using SHM reporter assays identified binding sites for E2A and MEF2B in Eμ and demonstrated an association between loss of factor binding and decreases in the SHM stimulating activity of Eμ mutants. Our results provide novel insights into trans-acting factors that dictate SHM targeting and link their activity to specific DNA binding sites within Ig enhancers.

• Klíčová slova
• AID, E2A, MEF2B, Ramos B cell line, Somatic hypermutation,
• MeSH
• geny pro imunoglobuliny MeSH
• kur domácí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• somatická hypermutace imunoglobulinových genů fyziologie   MeSH
• transkripční faktory genetika   metabolismus   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
• Názvy látek
• transkripční faktory MeSH