A system for reconstructing B cell antigen receptor signaling in the mouse myeloma J558L cell line

Growth of B Cell Receptor Microclusters Is Regulated by PIP2 and PIP3 Equilibrium and Dock2 Recruitment and Activation

The growth of B cell receptor (BCR) microclusters upon antigen stimulation drives B cell activation. Here, we show that PI3K-mediated PIP₃ production is required for the growth of BCR microclusters. This growth is likely inhibited by PTEN and dependent on its plasma membrane binding and lipid phosphatase activities. Mechanistically, we find that PIP₃-dependent recruitment and activation of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Dock2, is required for the sustained growth of BCR microclusters through remodeling of the F-actin cytoskeleton. As a consequence, Dock2 deficiency significantly disrupts the structure of the B cell immunological synapse. Finally, we find that primary B cells from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients exhibit more prominent BCR and PI3K microclusters than B cells from healthy controls. These results demonstrate the importance of a PI3K- and PTEN-governed PIP₂ and PIP₃ equilibrium in regulating the activation of B cells through Dock2-controlled growth of BCR microclusters.

Intravital imaging of Ca(2+) signals in lymphocytes of Ca(2+) biosensor transgenic mice: indication of autoimmune diseases before the pathological onset

Calcium ion (Ca(2+)) signaling is a typical phenomenon mediated through immune receptors, such as the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR), and it is important for their biological activities. To analyze the signaling of immune receptors together with their in vivo dynamics, we generated stable transgenic mice with the Föster/fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based Ca(2+) indicator yellow cameleon 3.60 (YC3.60), based on the Cre/loxP system (YC3.60(flox)). We successfully obtained mice with specific YC3.60 expression in immune or nerve cells as well as mice with ubiquitous expression of this indicator. We established five-dimensional (5D) (x, y, z, time, and Ca(2+)) intravital imaging of lymphoid tissues, including the bone marrow. Furthermore, in autoimmune-prone models, the CD22(-/-) and C57BL/6- lymphoproliferation (lpr)/lpr mouse, Ca(2+) fluxes were augmented, although they did not induce autoimmune disease. Intravital imaging of Ca(2+) signals in lymphocytes may improve assessment of the risk of autoimmune diseases in model animals.

Synthetic biology for pharmaceutical drug discovery

Synthetic biology (SB) is an emerging discipline, which is slowly reorienting the field of drug discovery. For thousands of years, living organisms such as plants were the major source of human medicines. The difficulty in resynthesizing natural products, however, often turned pharmaceutical industries away from this rich source for human medicine. More recently, progress on transformation through genetic manipulation of biosynthetic units in microorganisms has opened the possibility of in-depth exploration of the large chemical space of natural products derivatives. Success of SB in drug synthesis culminated with the bioproduction of artemisinin by microorganisms, a tour de force in protein and metabolic engineering. Today, synthetic cells are not only used as biofactories but also used as cell-based screening platforms for both target-based and phenotypic-based approaches. Engineered genetic circuits in synthetic cells are also used to decipher disease mechanisms or drug mechanism of actions and to study cell-cell communication within bacteria consortia. This review presents latest developments of SB in the field of drug discovery, including some challenging issues such as drug resistance and drug toxicity.