T‐bet is a new synergistic meeting point for the BCR and TLR 9 signaling cascades

D Kövesdi, A Angyal, K Huber, D Szili… - European Journal of …, 2014 - Wiley Online Library
D Kövesdi, A Angyal, K Huber, D Szili, G Sármay
European Journal of Immunology, 2014Wiley Online Library
The importance of the BCR and TLR 9 in autoimmunity and in the production of auto‐
antibodies is well established but the underlying molecular mechanism still needs to be
determined. Here, we aim to characterize the BCR‐TLR 9 cross‐talk by its effect on T‐bet, as
T‐bet is activated and regulated by both receptors and has an important role in class‐
switching to pathological I g G 2a in mice. Using primary mouse B cells, we demonstrate that
T‐bet expression is synergistically elevated by the cross‐talk between the BCR and TLR 9 …
The importance of the BCR and TLR9 in autoimmunity and in the production of auto‐antibodies is well established but the underlying molecular mechanism still needs to be determined. Here, we aim to characterize the BCR‐TLR9 cross‐talk by its effect on T‐bet, as T‐bet is activated and regulated by both receptors and has an important role in class‐switching to pathological IgG2a in mice. Using primary mouse B cells, we demonstrate that T‐bet expression is synergistically elevated by the cross‐talk between the BCR and TLR9. To test the effect of this synergy on IgG2a‐switching, the levels of switched B cells were checked by functional tests. We found that BCR costimulation had no additional effect on TLR9‐induced IgG2a expression, however the expression of Rad51 was synergistically increased. To check the biological significance of the synergy, we compared T‐bet expression in B cells from healthy and collagen‐induced arthritis mice but no differences were found. Taken together, we demonstrate here that signaling cascades driven by the BCR and TLR9 have a newly identified meeting point at T‐bet. The two cascades act synergistically on T‐bet; however additional signals may be needed to induce prolonged functional responses such as class‐switch recombination.
Wiley Online Library