Analysis of signaling via surface immunoglobulin receptors on B cells from CBA/N mice

CBA/N mice, which carry the xid immunodeficiency, lack a mature subpopulation of B cells. The residual B cells in these mice do not make antibodies to type-2 T-independent antigens, nor do they synthesize DNA in response to mitogenic forms of anti-Ig antibodies. It is therefore an attractive hypothesis that the surface immunoglobulin receptors (sIgR) on xid B cells signal abnormally following cross-linking. We show here that anti-Ig antibodies do cause inositol phospholipid hydrolysis and Ca2+ mobilization in xid B cells. However, the response of these cells are only 40%-50% of those of normal B cells. Studies with permeabilized cells demonstrated that the hyporesponsiveness is not due to ineffective coupling of sIgR to their associated G-protein. Rather it is apparently due to a quantitative and/or qualitative deficiency in the polyphosphoinositide-specific phosphodiesterase which mediates sIgR-induced inositol phospholipid hydrolysis. These observations may provide a biochemical explanation for the immunological abnormalities resulting from the xid mutation.