The Downstream Transcriptional Enhancer, Ed, positively regulates mouse Ig kappa gene expression and somatic hypermutation

Enhancers within the Ig V Gene Region Orchestrate Chromatin Topology and Regulate V Gene Rearrangement Frequency to Shape the B Cell Receptor Repertoire Specificities

Effective Ab-mediated responses depend on a highly diverse Ab repertoire with the ability to bind a wide range of epitopes in disease-causing agents. The generation of this repertoire depends on the somatic recombination of the variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) genes in the Ig loci of developing B cells. It has been known for some time that individual V, D, and J gene segments rearrange at different frequencies, but the mechanisms behind this unequal V gene usage have not been well understood. However, recent work has revealed that newly described enhancers scattered throughout the V gene-containing portion of the Ig loci regulate the V gene recombination frequency in a regional manner. Deletion of three of these enhancers revealed that these elements exert many layers of control during V(D)J recombination, including long-range chromatin interactions, epigenetic milieu, chromatin accessibility, and compartmentalization.

Lineage-specific 3D genome organization is assembled at multiple scales by IKAROS

A generic level of chromatin organization generated by the interplay between cohesin and CTCF suffices to limit promiscuous interactions between regulatory elements, but a lineage-specific chromatin assembly that supersedes these constraints is required to configure the genome to guide gene expression changes that drive faithful lineage progression. Loss-of-function approaches in B cell precursors show that IKAROS assembles interactions across megabase distances in preparation for lymphoid development. Interactions emanating from IKAROS-bound enhancers override CTCF-imposed boundaries to assemble lineage-specific regulatory units built on a backbone of smaller invariant topological domains. Gain of function in epithelial cells confirms IKAROS' ability to reconfigure chromatin architecture at multiple scales. Although the compaction of the Igκ locus required for genome editing represents a function of IKAROS unique to lymphocytes, the more general function to preconfigure the genome to support lineage-specific gene expression and suppress activation of extra-lineage genes provides a paradigm for lineage restriction.

REV7 is required for processing AID initiated DNA lesions in activated B cells

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates both antibody class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM) in antibody diversification. DNA double-strand break response (DSBR) factors promote rearrangement in CSR, while translesion synthesis (TLS) polymerases generate mutations in SHM. REV7, a component of TLS polymerase zeta, is also a downstream effector of 53BP1-RIF1 DSBR pathway. Here, we study the multi-functions of REV7 and find that REV7 is required for the B cell survival upon AID-deamination, which is independent of its roles in DSBR, G2/M transition or REV1-mediated TLS. The cell death in REV7-deficient activated B cells can be fully rescued by AID-deficiency in vivo. We further identify that REV7-depedent TLS across UNG-processed apurinic/apyrimidinic sites is required for cell survival upon AID/APOBEC deamination. This study dissects the multiple roles of Rev7 in antibody diversification, and discovers that TLS is not only required for sequence diversification but also B cell survival upon AID-initiated lesions.

REV7 has emerged as a critical regulator of DNA double-strand breaks repair. Here, the authors show that REV7 is crucial for both antibody class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation in activated B cells, in addition to their survival upon AID-deamination.

ERCC6L2 promotes DNA orientation-specific recombination in mammalian cells

Programmed DNA recombination in mammalian cells occurs predominantly in a directional manner. While random DNA breaks are typically repaired both by deletion and by inversion at approximately equal proportions, V(D)J and class switch recombination (CSR) of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene overwhelmingly delete intervening sequences to yield productive rearrangement. What factors channel chromatin breaks to deletional CSR in lymphocytes is unknown. Integrating CRISPR knockout and chemical perturbation screening we here identify the Snf2-family helicase-like ERCC6L2 as one such factor. We show that ERCC6L2 promotes double-strand break end-joining and facilitates optimal CSR in mice. At the cellular levels, ERCC6L2 rapidly engages in DNA repair through its C-terminal domains. Mechanistically, ERCC6L2 interacts with other end-joining factors and plays a functionally redundant role with the XLF end-joining factor in V(D)J recombination. Strikingly, ERCC6L2 controls orientation-specific joining of broken ends during CSR, which relies on its helicase activity. Thus, ERCC6L2 facilitates programmed recombination through directional repair of distant breaks.

What Targets Somatic Hypermutation to the Immunoglobulin Loci?

One of the most profound enigmas in B cell biology is how activation-induced deaminase (AID) is targeted to a very small region of DNA in the immunoglobulin loci. Two specific regions are singled out: the variable region of 2 kb that contains rearranged genes on the heavy, κ light, and λ light chain loci, and the switch region of ∼4 kb that contains an extensive stretch of G:C rich DNA on the heavy chain locus. Transcription is required for AID recruitment; however, many genes are also highly transcribed and do not undergo the catastrophic mutagenesis that occurs in variable and switch regions. The DNA sequences of these regions cause RNA polymerase II to accumulate for an extended distance of 2-4 kb. The stalled polymerases then recruit the transcription cofactor Spt5, and AID, which deaminates cytosines to uracils in exposed transcription bubbles. Thus, the immunoglobulin loci are unique in that a favorable combination of DNA sequences and 3' transcription enhancers make them the perfect storm for AID-induced somatic hypermutation.

A B-Cell-Specific Enhancer Orchestrates Nuclear Architecture to Generate a Diverse Antigen Receptor Repertoire

The genome is organized into topologically associated domains (TADs) that enclose smaller subTADs. Here, we identify and characterize an enhancer that is located in the middle of the V gene region of the immunoglobulin kappa light chain (Igκ) locus that becomes active preceding the stage at which this locus undergoes V(D)J recombination. This enhancer is a hub of long-range chromatin interactions connecting subTADs in the V gene region with the recombination center at the J genes. Deletion of this element results in a highly altered long-range chromatin interaction pattern across the locus and, importantly, affects individual V gene utilization locus-wide. These results indicate the existence of an enhancer-dependent framework in the Igκ locus and further suggest that the composition of the diverse antibody repertoire is regulated in a subTAD-specific manner. This enhancer thus plays a structural role in orchestrating the proper folding of the Igκ locus in preparation for V(D)J recombination.

YY1 binds to the E3' enhancer and inhibits the expression of the immunoglobulin κ gene via epigenetic modifications

The rearrangement and expression of immunoglobulin genes are regulated by enhancers and their binding transcriptional factors that activate or suppress the activities of the enhancers. The immunoglobulin κ (Igκ) gene locus has three important enhancers: the intrinsic enhancer (Ei), 3' enhancer (E3'), and distal enhancer (Ed). Ei and E3' are both required for Igκ gene rearrangement during early stages of B-cell development, whereas optimal expression of the rearranged Igκ gene relies on both E3' and Ed. The transcription factor YY1 affects the expression of many genes involved in B-cell development, probably by mediating interactions between their enhancers and promoters. Herein, we found that YY1 binds to the E3' enhancer and suppresses Igκ expression in B lymphoma cells by epigenetically modifying the enhancer. Knocking down YY1 enhanced Igκ expression, which was associated with increased levels of E2A (encoded by the TCF3 gene) and its binding to the E3' enhancer. Moreover, in germinal centre B cells and plasma cells, YY1 expression was reversely associated with Igκ levels, implying that YY1 might facilitate antibody affinity maturation in germinal centre B cells through the transient attenuation of Igκ expression.

Enhancer talk

Enhancers are short noncoding segments of DNA (100-1000 bp) that control the temporal and spatial activity of genes in an orientation-independent manner. They can be separated from their target genes by large distances and are thus known as distal regulatory elements. One consequence of the variability in the distance separating enhancers and their target promoters is that it is difficult to determine which elements are involved in the regulation of a particular gene. Moreover, enhancers can be found in clusters in which multiple regulatory elements control expression of the same target gene. However, little is known about how the individual elements contribute to gene expression. Here, we describe how chromatin conformation promotes and constraints enhancer activity. Further, we discuss enhancer clusters and what is known about the contribution of individual elements to the regulation of target genes. Finally, we examine the reliability of different methods used to identify enhancers.

Efficient AID targeting of switch regions is not sufficient for optimal class switch recombination

Antibody affinity maturation relies on activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID)-dependent somatic hypermutation (SHM) of immunoglobulin (Ig) loci. Class switch recombination (CSR) can in parallel occur between AID-targeted, transcribed, spliced and repetitive switch (S) regions. AID thus initiates not only mutations but also double-strand breaks (DSBs). What governs the choice between those two outcomes remains uncertain. Here we explore whether insertion of transcribed intronic S regions in a locus (Igκ) strongly recruiting AID is sufficient for efficient CSR. Although strongly targeted by AID and carrying internal deletions, the knocked-in S regions only undergo rare CSR-like events. This model confirms S regions as exquisite SHM targets, extending AID activity far from transcription initiation sites, and shows that such spliced and repetitive AID targets are not sufficient by themselves for CSR. Beyond transcription and AID recruitment, additional IgH elements are thus needed for CSR, restricting this hazardous gene remodelling to IgH loci.

A major deletion in the Vκ-Jκ intervening region results in hyperelevated transcription of proximal Vκ genes and a severely restricted repertoire

Our previous studies have shown that DNase I hypersensitive sites 1 and 2 (HS1-2) and HS3-6 within the mouse Vκ-Jκ intervening region are essential for controlling locus contraction and creating a diverse Ab repertoire. In this article, we demonstrate that a 6.3-kb deletion encompassing HS1-6 altogether not only leads to the predictable sums of these phenotypes, but also results in a novel hyperelevation of transcription of proximal Vκ genes, in both pre-B and splenic B cells. These findings reveal previously unrecognized additional functions for cis-elements within the Vκ-Jκ intervening region, namely, prevention of the production of massive levels of noncoding RNA species by silencing transcription of germline proximal Vκ genes in both developing and mature B cells.

A novel pax5-binding regulatory element in the igκ locus

The Igκ locus undergoes a variety of different molecular processes during B cell development, including V(D)J rearrangement and somatic hypermutations (SHM), which are influenced by cis regulatory regions (RRs) within the locus. The Igκ locus includes three characterized RRs termed the intronic (iEκ), 3′Eκ, and Ed enhancers. We had previously noted that a region of DNA upstream of the iEκ and matrix attachment region (MAR) was necessary for demethylation of the locus in cell culture. In this study, we further characterized this region, which we have termed Dm, for demethylation element. Pre-rearranged Igκ transgenes containing a deletion of the entire Dm region, or of a Pax5-binding site within the region, fail to undergo efficient CpG demethylation in mature B cells in vivo. Furthermore, we generated mice with a deletion of the full Dm region at the endogenous Igκ locus. The most prominent phenotype of these mice is reduced SHM in germinal center B cells in Peyer’s patches. In conclusion, we propose the Dm element as a novel Pax5-binding cis regulatory element, which works in concert with the known enhancers, and plays a role in Igκ demethylation and SHM.

The IgH 3' regulatory region controls somatic hypermutation in germinal center B cells

Somatic hypermutation in variable heavy chain rearranged regions is abrogated in the absence of the 3′ regulatory region enhancer, whereas transcription rate in the Ig heavy chain is only partially reduced.

Interactions with cognate antigens recruit activated B cells into germinal centers where they undergo somatic hypermutation (SHM) in V(D)J exons for the generation of high-affinity antibodies. The contribution of IgH transcriptional enhancers in SHM is unclear. The E_μ enhancer upstream of C_μ has a marginal role, whereas the influence of the IgH 3′ regulatory region (3′RR) enhancers (hs3a, hs1,2, hs3b, and hs4) is controversial. To clarify the latter issue, we analyzed mice lacking the whole 30-kb extent of the IgH 3′RR. We show that SHM in V_H rearranged regions is almost totally abrogated in 3′RR-deficient mice, whereas the simultaneous Ig heavy chain transcription rate is only partially reduced. In contrast, SHM in κ light chain genes remains unaltered, acquitting for any global SHM defect in our model. Beyond class switch recombination, the IgH 3′RR is a central element that controls heavy chain accessibility to activation-induced deaminase modifications including SHM.

Loss of an Igκ gene enhancer in mature B cells results in rapid gene silencing and partial reversible dedifferentiation

We address here whether there is cellular memory of a transcriptional enhancer once it has served its purpose to establish an active chromatin state. We have previously shown that the mouse Igκ gene's downstream enhancers, E3' and Ed, are essential but play redundant roles for establishing transcriptional activity in the locus during B cell development. To determine whether these enhancers are also necessary for the maintenance of transcriptional activity, we conditionally deleted E3' in mature B cells that possessed Ed(-/-) alleles. Upon E3' deletion, the locus became rapidly silenced and lost positive histone epigenetic marks, and the mature B cells partially dedifferentiated, induced RAG-1 and -2 along with certain other pro-B cell makers, and then redifferentiated after triggering Igλ gene rearrangements. We conclude that the Igκ gene's downstream enhancers are essential for both the establishment and maintenance of transcriptional activity and that there is no cellular memory of previous transcriptional activity in this locus. Furthermore, upon enhancer loss, the mature B cells unexpectedly underwent reversible retrograde differentiation. This result establishes that receptor editing can occur in mature B cells and raises the possibility that this may provide a tolerance mechanism for eliminating autoreactive B cells in the periphery.

A new hypersensitive site, HS10, and the enhancers, E3' and Ed, differentially regulate Igκ gene expression

The mouse Igκ gene locus has three known transcriptional enhancers: an intronic enhancer (Ei), a 3' enhancer (E3'), and a further downstream enhancer (Ed). We previously discovered, using the chromosome conformation-capture technique, that Ei and E3' interact with a novel DNA sequence near the 3' end of the Igκ locus, specifically in B cells. In the present investigation, we examined the function of this far downstream element. The sequence is evolutionarily conserved and exhibits a plasmacytoma cell-specific DNase I-hypersensitive site in chromatin, henceforth termed HS10 in the locus. HS10 acts as a coactivator of E3' in transient transfection assays. Although HS10(-/-) mice exhibited normal patterns of B cell development, they were tested further along with E3'(-/-) and Ed(-/-) mice for their Igκ expression levels in plasma cells, as well as for both allelic and isotype exclusion in splenic B cells. HS10(-/-) and Ed(-/-), but not E3'(-/-), mice exhibited 2.5-fold lower levels of Igκ expression in antigenically challenged plasma cells. E3'(-/-) mice, but not HS10(-/-) mice, exhibited impaired IgL isotype and allelic exclusion in splenic B cells. We have suggestive results that Ed may also weakly participate in these processes. In addition, HS10(-/-) mice no longer exhibited regional chromosome interactions with E3', and they exhibited modestly reduced somatic hypermutation in the Jκ-Cκ intronic region in germinal center B cells from Peyer's patches. We conclude that the HS10, E3', and Ed differentially regulate Igκ gene dynamics.

Shadow enhancers: frequently asked questions about distributed cis-regulatory information and enhancer redundancy

This paper, in the form of a frequently asked questions page (FAQ), addresses outstanding questions about "shadow enhancers", quasi-redundant cis-regulatory elements, and their proposed roles in transcriptional control. Questions include: What exactly are shadow enhancers? How many genes have shadow/redundant/distributed enhancers? How redundant are these elements? What is the function of distributed enhancers? How modular are enhancers? Is it useful to study a single enhancer in isolation? In addition, a revised definition of "shadow enhancers" is proposed, and possible mechanisms of shadow enhancer function and evolution are discussed.

Classical Mus musculus Igκ enhancers support transcription but not high level somatic hypermutation from a V-lambda promoter in chicken DT40 cells

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) of immunoglobulin genes is initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) in activated B cells. This process is strictly dependent on transcription. Hence, cis-acting transcriptional control elements have been proposed to target SHM to immunoglobulin loci. The Mus musculus Igκ locus is regulated by the intronic enhancer (iE/MAR) and the 3′ enhancer (3′E), and multiple studies using transgenic and knock-out approaches in mice and cell lines have reported somewhat contradictory results about the function of these enhancers in AID-mediated sequence diversification. Here we show that the M. musculus iE/MAR and 3′E elements are active solely as transcriptional enhancer when placed in the context of the IGL locus in Gallus gallus DT40 cells, but they are very inefficient in targeting AID-mediated mutation events to this locus. This suggests that either key components of the cis-regulatory targeting elements reside outside the murine Igκ transcriptional enhancer sequences, or that the targeting of AID activity to Ig loci occurs by largely species-specific mechanisms.

A multifunctional element in the mouse Igκ locus that specifies repertoire and Ig loci subnuclear location

Nonbiased V gene usage for V(D)J joining is essential for providing an optimal immune system, but no cis-acting sequence with this function has been uncovered. We previously identified a recombination silencer and heterochromatin targeting element in the Vκ-Jκ intervening sequence of germline Igκ transgenes, which we termed Sis. We now have generated Sis knockout mice in the endogenous locus. Intriguingly, Sis(-/-) mice exhibit a skewed Igκ repertoire with markedly decreased distal and enhanced proximal Vκ gene usage for primary rearrangement, which is associated with reduced occupancy of Ikaros and CCCTC-binding factor in the Vκ-Jκ intervening sequence in pre-B cells, proteins believed to be responsible for dampening the recombination of nearby Vκ genes and altering higher-order chromatin looping. Furthermore, monoallelic heterochromatin localization is significantly reduced in Sis(-/-) mice for Igκ in cis and IgH loci in trans in pre-B cells. Because Sis(-/-) mice still allelically excluded Igκ and IgH loci and still exhibited IgL isotype exclusion, we concluded that stable localization at pericentromeric heterochromatin is neither necessary nor sufficient for the establishment or maintenance of allelic exclusion. Hence, Sis is a novel multifunctional element that specifies repertoire and heterochromatin localization to Ig genes.

Targeting of AID-mediated sequence diversification to immunoglobulin genes

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is a key enzyme for antibody-mediated immune responses. Antibodies are encoded by the immunoglobulin genes and AID acts as a transcription-dependent DNA mutator on these genes to improve antibody affinity and effector functions. An emerging theme in field is that many transcribed genes are potential targets of AID, presenting an obvious danger to genomic integrity. Thus there are mechanisms in place to ensure that mutagenic outcomes of AID activity are specifically restricted to the immunoglobulin loci. Cis-regulatory targeting elements mediate this effect and their mode of action is probably a combination of immunoglobulin gene specific activation of AID and a perversion of faithful DNA repair towards error-prone outcomes.

The Igκ gene enhancers, E3' and Ed, are essential for triggering transcription

The mouse Igκ gene locus has three known transcriptional enhancers: an intronic enhancer (Ei), a 3' enhancer (E3'), and a further downstream enhancer (Ed). Previous studies on B lymphocytes derived from mutant embryonic stem cells have shown that deletion of either Ei or E3' significantly reduces Igκ gene rearrangement, whereas the combined deletion of both Ei and E3' eliminates such recombination. Furthermore, deletion of either E3' or Ed significantly reduces rearranged Igκ gene transcription. To determine whether the combined presence of both E3' and Ed are essential for Igκ gene expression, we generated homozygous double knockout (DKO) mice with targeted deletions in both elements. Significantly, homozygous DKO mice were unable to generate κ(+) B cells both in bone marrow and the periphery and exhibited surface expression almost exclusively of Igλ-chains, despite the fact that they possessed potentially functional rearranged Igκ genes. Compared with their single-enhancer-deleted counterparts, Igκ loci in homozygous DKO mice exhibited dramatically reduced germline and rearranged gene transcription, lower levels of gene rearrangement and histone H3 acetylation, and markedly increased DNA methylation. This contributed to a partial developmental block at the pre-B cell stage of development. We conclude that the two downstream enhancers are essential in Igκ gene expression and that Ei in homozygous DKO mice is incapable of triggering Igκ gene transcription. Furthermore, these results reveal unexpected compensatory roles for Ed in E3' knockout mice in triggering germline transcription and Vκ gene rearrangements to both Jκ and RS elements.

AID and somatic hypermutation

In response to an assault by foreign organisms, peripheral B cells can change their antibody affinity and isotype by somatically mutating their genomic DNA. The ability of a cell to modify its DNA is exceptional in light of the potential consequences of genetic alterations to cause human disease and cancer. Thus, as expected, this mechanism of antibody diversity is tightly regulated and coordinated through one protein, activation-induced deaminase (AID). AID produces diversity by converting cytosine to uracil within the immunoglobulin loci. The deoxyuracil residue is mutagenic when paired with deoxyguanosine, since it mimics thymidine during DNA replication. Additionally, B cells can manipulate the DNA repair pathways so that deoxyuracils are not faithfully repaired. Therefore, an intricate balance exists which is regulated at multiple stages to promote mutation of immunoglobulin genes, while retaining integrity of the rest of the genome. Here we discuss and summarize the current understanding of how AID functions to cause somatic hypermutation.

Genomic organization and evolution of immunoglobulin kappa gene enhancers and kappa deleting element in mammals

We have studied the genomic structure and evolutionary pattern of immunoglobulin kappa deleting element (KDE) and three kappa enhancers (KE5', KE3'P, and KE3'D) in eleven mammalian genomic sequences. Our results show that the relative positions and the genomic organization of the KDE and the kappa enhancers are conserved in all mammals studied and have not been affected by the local rearrangements in the immunoglobulin kappa (IGK) light chain locus over a long evolutionary time ( approximately 120 million years of mammalian evolution). Our observations suggest that the sequence motifs in these regulatory elements have been conserved by purifying selection to achieve proper regulation of the expression of the IGK light chain genes. The conservation of the three enhancers in all mammals indicates that these species may use similar mechanisms to regulate IGK gene expression. However, some activities of the IGK enhancers might have evolved in the eutherian lineage. The presence of the three IGK enhancers, KDE, and other recombining elements (REs) in all mammals (including platypus) suggest that these genomic elements were in place before the mammalian radiation.

Divergent roles of RelA and c-Rel in establishing chromosomal loops upon activation of the Igkappa gene

Precise regulation of eukaryotic gene expression requires interactions between distal cis-acting regulatory sequences with the looping out of the intervening DNA, but how trans-acting regulatory proteins work to establish and maintain DNA loops during gene activation remains largely unexplored. LPS-induced transcription of the mouse Igkappa gene in B lymphocytes utilizes three distal enhancers and requires the transcription factor NF-kappaB, whose family members include RelA and c-Rel. Using chromosome conformation capture technology in combination with chromatin immunoprecipitation, here we demonstrate that LPS-induced Igkappa gene activation creates chromosomal loops by bridging together all three pairwise interactions between the distal enhancers and RNA polymerase II, the apparent molecular tie for the bases of these loops. RelA and actin polymerization are essential for triggering these processes, which do not require new transcription, protein synthesis, or c-Rel. We have thus identified both essential and nonessential events that establish higher order chromatin reorganization during Igkappa gene activation.

NF-kappaB family of transcription factor facilitates gene conversion in chicken B cells

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is critical for immunoglobulin (Ig) diversification in B cells. The majority of evidence supports the model that AID modifies Ig genes at the DNA level by deaminating cytosines into uracils. The mutagenic activity is largely restricted to Ig genes to avoid genomic damage in general, but the underlying mechanism is not understood. We addressed this question in chicken B cell line DT40. We characterized a regulatory region within the Iglambda locus. This regulatory region is important for AID-mediated gene conversion at the Iglambda locus, and is capable of targeting AID activity to ectopic loci. This regulatory region contains binding sites for transcription factors NF-kappaB, Mef2 and octamer binding proteins. Mutation of these binding sites or ablation of NF-kappaB family member, p50 or c-Rel, impairs the AID targeting function of this regulatory region. These results suggest that NF-kappaB family of transcription factors contribute to AID-mediated gene conversion.