B cell Ag receptor mediates different types of signals in the protein kinase activity between immature B cell and
H Igarashi1, K Kuwahara, J Nomura
1Department of Immunology, School of Life Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
Ig receptor (IgR) on the surface of B cells mediates the Ag-specific stimulatory signal for B cell proliferation and differentiation. In immature B cells, the stimulatory signal causes an inhibitory effect which is believed to be a key phenomenon in B cell tolerance or B cell anergy. Here, we studied the molecular mechanism of the inhibitory response of the IgR-mediated signal transduction that results in the programmed cell death of immature B cells. To analyze the downstream molecules of the IgR-mediated signal transduction, we prepared a mAb against a 160-kDa membrane protein (p160) that can coprecipitate the kinase molecule(s) acting on serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues. Anti-IgR stimulation induces the increase of the kinase activity coprecipitated with the p160 protein in mature B cell BAL17 and normal adult spleen B cells. This result suggest that the p160-associated kinase activity is one of the downstream events of the IgR-mediated signal transduction cascade. Interestingly, immature B cell lymphoma WEHI-231 and the neonatal spleen B cells showed the adverse reaction of the p160-associated kinase which results in the transient loss of the kinase activity. Moreover, the transient decrease of the p160-associated kinase was caused by the tyrosine phosphatase activity induced by the stimulation of IgR in WEHI-231. The results suggest that this molecular difference in the downstream events of the IgR-mediated signal transduction between immature B cells and mature B cells already begins at the transmembrane level in the IgR-mediated signal transduction pathway.
Ig receptor (IgR) on the surface of B cells mediates the Ag-specific stimulatory signal for B cell proliferation and differentiation. In immature B cells, the stimulatory signal causes an inhibitory effect which is believed to be a key phenomenon in B cell tolerance or B cell anergy. Here, we studied the molecular mechanism of the inhibitory response of the IgR-mediated signal transduction that results in the programmed cell death of immature B cells. To analyze the downstream molecules of the IgR-mediated signal transduction, we prepared a mAb against a 160-kDa membrane protein (p160) that can coprecipitate the kinase molecule(s) acting on serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues. Anti-IgR stimulation induces the increase of the kinase activity coprecipitated with the p160 protein in mature B cell BAL17 and normal adult spleen B cells. This result suggest that the p160-associated kinase activity is one of the downstream events of the IgR-mediated signal transduction cascade. Interestingly, immature B cell lymphoma WEHI-231 and the neonatal spleen B cells showed the adverse reaction of the p160-associated kinase which results in the transient loss of the kinase activity. Moreover, the transient decrease of the p160-associated kinase was caused by the tyrosine phosphatase activity induced by the stimulation of IgR in WEHI-231. The results suggest that this molecular difference in the downstream events of the IgR-mediated signal transduction between immature B cells and mature B cells already begins at the transmembrane level in the IgR-mediated signal transduction pathway.
Related Concept Videos
Yeast Signaling
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive EGFR activation may...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Amplifying Signals via Second Messengers
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade
Diversity of Antigen Receptors
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...


