Complex relationship between mismatch repair proteins and MBD4 during immunoglobulin class switch recombination

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 29;8(10):e78370. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078370. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Mismatch repair (MMR) safeguards against genomic instability and is required for efficient Ig class switch recombination (CSR). Methyl CpG binding domain protein 4 (MBD4) binds to MutL homologue 1 (MLH1) and controls the post-transcriptional level of several MMR proteins, including MutS homologue 2 (MSH2). We show that in WT B cells activated for CSR, MBD4 is induced and interacts with MMR proteins, thereby implying a role for MBD4 in CSR. However, CSR is in the normal range in Mbd4 deficient mice deleted for exons 2-5 despite concomitant reduction of MSH2. We show by comparison in Msh2(+/-) B cells that a two-fold reduction of MSH2 and MBD4 proteins is correlated with impaired CSR. It is therefore surprising that CSR occurs at normal frequencies in the Mbd4 deficient B cells where MSH2 is reduced. We find that a variant Mbd4 transcript spanning exons 1,6-8 is expressed in Mbd4 deficient B cells. This transcript can be ectopically expressed and produces a truncated MBD4 peptide. Thus, the 3' end of the Mbd4 locus is not silent in Mbd4 deficient B cells and may contribute to CSR. Our findings highlight a complex relationship between MBD4 and MMR proteins in B cells and a potential reconsideration of their role in CSR.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • DNA Mismatch Repair / genetics*
  • DNA Repair / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases / genetics*
  • Exons / genetics
  • Gene Rearrangement / genetics*
  • Immunoglobulin Class Switching / genetics*
  • Immunoglobulins / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • MutS Homolog 2 Protein / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Recombination, Genetic / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases
  • Mbd4 protein, mouse
  • Msh2 protein, mouse
  • MutS Homolog 2 Protein