mTOR-Dependent and Independent Survival Signaling by PI3K in B Lymphocytes

PLoS One. 2016 Jan 19;11(1):e0146955. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146955. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Peripheral B lymphocyte survival requires the B cell receptor (BCR) and B cell activating factor (BAFF) binding to its receptor (BAFF-R). Deletion of the BCR, or its signal transducing chaperone Igβ, leads to rapid loss of mature B cells, indicating that signals initiated at the BCR are crucial for B cell survival. BAFF or BAFF-R deficiency also significantly reduces the numbers of mature B cells despite normal BCR expression. Together, these observations indicate that continued BCR and BAFF-R signaling are essential for the survival of mature resting B cells in the periphery. Here we demonstrate that tonic BCR signals up-regulate p100 (Nfkb2) as well as Mcl-1 protein expression at a post-transcriptional level via a PI3K-dependent pathway. p100 expression is mTOR-independent, whereas Mcl-1 expression is mTOR-dependent. BAFF treatment further elevated Mcl-1 levels by an mTOR-independent pathway, while consuming p100. Accordingly, Mcl-1 induction by BAFF is abrogated in Nfkb2-/- B cells. We propose that the cumulative effects of the BCR and BAFF-R signaling pathways increase Mcl-1 levels beyond the threshold required for B cell survival.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Cell Activating Factor / pharmacology
  • B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor / metabolism
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Survival
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Mice
  • Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein / genetics*
  • NF-kappa B p52 Subunit / genetics*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcr / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • B-Cell Activating Factor
  • B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor
  • Mcl1 protein, mouse
  • Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein
  • NF-kappa B p52 Subunit
  • Nfkb2 protein, mouse
  • Tnfrsf13c protein, mouse
  • mTOR protein, mouse
  • Bcr protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcr
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases