TY - JOUR
T1 - Role of β-catenin in B cell development and function
AU - Yu, Qing
AU - Quinn, William J.
AU - Salay, Theresa
AU - Crowley, Jenni E.
AU - Cancro, Michael P.
AU - Sen, Jyoti Misra
PY - 2008/9/15
Y1 - 2008/9/15
N2 - β-Catenin is a central mediator of Wnt signaling pathway, components of which have been implicated in B cell development and function. B cell progenitors and bone marrow stromal cells express Wnt ligands, Frizzled receptors and Wnt antagonists, suggesting fine tuned regulation of this pathway in B cell development. In particular, deletion of Frizzled 9 gene results in developmental defects at the pre-B stage of development and an accumulation of plasma cells. Furthermore, Wnt signals regulate B cell proliferation through lymphocyte enhancer-binding factor-1. However, it is not known whether Wnt signaling in B cell development is mediated by β-catenin and whether β-catenin plays a role in mature B cell function. In this report, we show that mice bearing B cell-specific deletion of β-catenin have normal B cell development in bone marrow and periphery. A modest defect in plasma cell generation in vitro was documented, which correlated with a defective expression of IRF-4 and Blimp-1. However, B cell response to T-dependent and T-independent Ags in vivo was found to be normal. Thus, β-catenin expression was found to be dispensable for normal B cell development and function.
AB - β-Catenin is a central mediator of Wnt signaling pathway, components of which have been implicated in B cell development and function. B cell progenitors and bone marrow stromal cells express Wnt ligands, Frizzled receptors and Wnt antagonists, suggesting fine tuned regulation of this pathway in B cell development. In particular, deletion of Frizzled 9 gene results in developmental defects at the pre-B stage of development and an accumulation of plasma cells. Furthermore, Wnt signals regulate B cell proliferation through lymphocyte enhancer-binding factor-1. However, it is not known whether Wnt signaling in B cell development is mediated by β-catenin and whether β-catenin plays a role in mature B cell function. In this report, we show that mice bearing B cell-specific deletion of β-catenin have normal B cell development in bone marrow and periphery. A modest defect in plasma cell generation in vitro was documented, which correlated with a defective expression of IRF-4 and Blimp-1. However, B cell response to T-dependent and T-independent Ags in vivo was found to be normal. Thus, β-catenin expression was found to be dispensable for normal B cell development and function.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=56149106554&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=56149106554&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 18768830
AN - SCOPUS:56149106554
SN - 0022-1767
VL - 181
SP - 3777
EP - 3783
JO - Journal of Immunology
JF - Journal of Immunology
IS - 6
ER -