title: Graded expression of interferon regulatory factor-4 coordinates isotype switching with plasma cell differentiation.
abstract: Molecular mechanisms underlying the coordination of isotype switching with plasma cell differentiation are poorly understood. We show that interferon regulatory factor-4 (IRF-4) regulates both processes by controlling the expression of the Aicda and Prdm1 genes, which encode AID and Blimp-1, respectively. Genome-wide analysis demonstrated that Irf4(-/-) B cells failed to induce the entire Blimp-1-dependent plasma cell program. Restoration of AID or Blimp-1 expression in Irf4(-/-) B cells promoted isotype switching or secretion, respectively. IRF-4 was expressed in a graded manner in differentiating B cells and targeted Prdm1. Higher concentration of IRF-4 induced Prdm1 and consequently the transition from a germinal center gene expression program to that of a plasma cell. We propose a gene-regulatory network in which graded expression of IRF-4 developmentally coordinates isotype switching with plasma cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sciammas
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Shaffer
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Schatz
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Louis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Staudt
authors.forename: Harinder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics; D017578:Immunoglobulin Class Switching / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D000074462:Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000098830:AICDA (Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase); D000099218:Interferon Regulatory Factor-4
chemical_list: D003564:Cytidine Deaminase; D004247:DNA; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors; D000074462:Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000098830:AICDA (Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase); D000099218:Interferon Regulatory Factor-4; C513258:Prdm1 protein, mouse