Speckled-like pattern in the germinal center (SLIP-GC), a nuclear GTPase expressed in activation-induced deaminase-expressing lymphomas and germinal center B cells

J Biol Chem. 2009 Oct 30;284(44):30652-61. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.014506. Epub 2009 Sep 4.

Abstract

We identified a novel GTPase, SLIP-GC, with expression limited to a few tissues, in particular germinal center B cells. It lacks homology to any known proteins, indicating that it may belong to a novel family of GTPases. SLIP-GC is expressed in germinal center B cells and in lymphomas derived from germinal center B cells such as large diffuse B cell lymphomas. In cell lines, SLIP-GC is expressed in lymphomas that express activation-induced deaminase (AID) and that likely undergo somatic hypermutation. SLIP-GC is a nuclear protein, and it localizes to replication factories. Reduction of SLIP-GC levels in the Burkitt lymphoma cell line Raji and in non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines resulted in an increase in DNA breaks and apoptosis that was AID-dependent, as simultaneous reduction of AID abrogated the deleterious effects of SLIP-GC reduction. These results strongly suggest that SLIP-GC is a replication-related protein in germinal center B cells whose reduction is toxic to cells through an AID-dependent mechanism.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis
  • B-Lymphocytes / chemistry
  • B-Lymphocytes / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cytidine Deaminase / analysis*
  • DNA Damage
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / analysis
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / physiology*
  • Germinal Center / chemistry
  • Germinal Center / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / chemistry*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / pathology
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins / analysis
  • Nuclear Proteins / physiology*
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • AICDA (activation-induced cytidine deaminase)
  • Cytidine Deaminase
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • NUGGC protein, human