title: The ITM2B (BRI2) gene is a target of BCL6 repression: Implications for lymphomas and neurodegenerative diseases.
abstract: The human BCL6 gene encodes a transcriptional repressor that is crucial for germinal center B cell development and T follicular helper cell differentiation. It is involved in the pathogenesis of certain human lymphomas. In an effort to identify targets of BCL6 repression, we used a previously described cell system in which BCL6 repressive effects are inhibited, followed by subtractive hybridization, and identified the integral membrane 2B gene (ITM2B, formerly BRI2) as a potential target. Here we show that BCL6 can bind to its preferential consensus binding site within the first intron of ITM2B and represses its transcription. Knockdown of endogenous BCL6 in a human B cell lymphoma line increases ITM2B expression. Further, there is an inverse relationship between the expression levels of BCL6 and ITM2B proteins in 16 human B- and T-cell lymphomas studied by immunohistochemistry. Both the BCL6 and ITM2B proteins are expressed ubiquitously. Similar to some other targets of BCL6, a short form of the ITM2B protein generated by alternative splicing induces apoptosis in hematopoietic cell lines. Molecular alterations in the ITM2B gene are associated with two neurodegenerative diseases, Familial British and Familial Danish dementia. ITM2B dysfunction also may be relevant for the development of Alzheimer's disease. Our data confirm ITM2B as a target of BCL6 repression in lymphoma. A further understanding of the genes that function as regulators of the ITM2B protein may provide insights for the development of new molecular tools not only for targeted lymphoma therapy but also for the treatment of these dementias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, CCD, The University of Chicago, 2600, MC 8049, 5720 S. Drexel Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Electronic address: Beverly.Baron@uchospitals.edu.
authors.forename: Beverly W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: RBARON@PARTNERS.ORG.
authors.forename: Rebecca M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Electronic address: jbaron@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baron
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002386:Cataract / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003638:Deafness / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011485:Protein Binding; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; D034622:RNA Interference
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C084103:BCL6 protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C120083:ITM2B protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; BCL6 target; Familial British dementia; Familial Danish dementia; ITM2B gene