A recurrent dominant negative E47 mutation causes agammaglobulinemia and BCR- B cells

作者:Boisson Bertrand; Wang Yong Dong; Bosompem Amma; Ma Cindy S; Lim Annick; Kochetkov Tatiana; Tangye Stuart G; Casanova Jean Laurent; Conley Mary Ellen*
来源:Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2013, 123(11): 4781-4785.
DOI:10.1172/JCI71927

摘要

Approximately 90% of patients with isolated agammaglob ulinemia and failure of B cell development have mutations in genes required for signaling through the pre-B cell and B cell receptors. The nature of the gene defect in the majority of remaining patients is unknown. We recently identified 4 patients with agatnmaglobulinemia and markedly decreased numbers of peripheral B cells. The B cells that could be detected had an unusual phenotype characterized by the increased expression of CD19 but the absence of a B cell receptor. Genetic studies demonstrated that all 4 patients had the exact same de novo mutation in the broadly expressed transcription factor E47. The mutant protein (E555K) was stable in patient-derived EBV-transformed cell lines and cell lines transfected with expression vectors. E555K in the transfected cells localized normally to the nucleus and resulted in a dominant negative effect when bound to DNA as a homodimer with wild-type E47. Mutant E47 did permit DNA binding by a tissue-specific heteroclimeric DNA-binding partner, myogenic differentiation 1 (MYOD). These findings document a mutational hot-spot in E47 and represent an autosomal dominant form of agammaglobulinemia. Further, they indicate that E47 plays a critical role in enforcing the block in development of B cell precursors that lack functional antigen receptors.