N-WASP Is Essential for the Negative Regulation of B Cell Receptor Signaling

A cell biology study using conditional gene knockout mouse models reveals a novel mechanism by which the actin cytoskeleton negatively regulates the signal transduction of the B cell antigen receptor.

Negative regulation of receptor signaling is essential for controlling cell activation and differentiation. In B-lymphocytes, the down-regulation of B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) signaling is critical for suppressing the activation of self-reactive B cells; however, the mechanism underlying the negative regulation of signaling remains elusive. Using genetically manipulated mouse models and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate that neuronal Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP), which is coexpressed with WASP in all immune cells, is a critical negative regulator of B-cell signaling. B-cell–specific N-WASP gene deletion causes enhanced and prolonged BCR signaling and elevated levels of autoantibodies in the mouse serum. The increased signaling in N-WASP knockout B cells is concurrent with increased accumulation of F-actin at the B-cell surface, enhanced B-cell spreading on the antigen-presenting membrane, delayed B-cell contraction, inhibition in the merger of signaling active BCR microclusters into signaling inactive central clusters, and a blockage of BCR internalization. Upon BCR activation, WASP is activated first, followed by N-WASP in mouse and human primary B cells. The activation of N-WASP is suppressed by Bruton's tyrosine kinase-induced WASP activation, and is restored by the activation of SH2 domain-containing inositol 5-phosphatase that inhibits WASP activation. Our results reveal a new mechanism for the negative regulation of BCR signaling and broadly suggest an actin-mediated mechanism for signaling down-regulation.

Author Summary Mechanisms to shut down B-cell activation are necessary to ensure termination of an immune response when an infection has been cleared. When this negative regulation goes wrong, it can also lead to autoimmunity. To understand how this inhibitory process is regulated, here we utilized knockout mice containing B cells that are deficient for proteins potentially involved in their negative regulation. We focus on Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP), a key cytoskeletal regulator of hematopoietic cells, and neural WASP (N-WASP), which shares 50% homology with WASP and is ubiquitously expressed. Our study shows that mouse B cells that lack N-WASP protein are activated to a greater level and for longer periods than B cells that express this protein. Furthermore, in mice where B cells do not make N-WASP, the numbers of self-reactive B cells are elevated. We went on to identify molecules that promote or inhibit N-WASP activation and to examine the cellular mechanisms by which N-WASP inhibits B-cell activation. Based on these findings we propose that N-WASP is a critical inhibitor of B-cell activation and serves to suppress self-reactive B cells.