title: Antigen receptor signaling induces MAP kinase-mediated phosphorylation and degradation of the BCL-6 transcription factor.
abstract: The bcl-6 proto-oncogene encodes a POZ/zinc finger transcriptional repressor expressed in germinal center (GC) B and T cells and required for GC formation and antibody affinity maturation. Deregulation of bcl-6 expression by chromosomal rearrangements and point mutations of the bcl-6 promoter region are implicated in the pathogenesis of B-cell lymphoma. The signals regulating bcl-6 expression are not known. Here we show that antigen receptor activation leads to BCL-6 phosphorylation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Phosphorylation, in turn, targets BCL-6 for rapid degradation by the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. These findings indicate that BCL-6 expression is directly controlled by the antigen receptor via MAPK activation. This signaling pathway may be crucial for the control of B-cell differentiation and antibody response and has implications for the regulation of other POZ/zinc finger transcription factors in other tissues.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology and Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032 USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dalla-Favera
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014452:Ubiquitins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014452:Ubiquitins; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex