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The Journal of Immunology, 1999, 162: 4417-4423.
Copyright © 1999 by The American Association of Immunologists

Accelerated Emigration of B Lymphocytes in the Xid Mouse1

Annaiah Cariappa, Tae Jin Kim and Shiv Pillai2

Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The B cell receptor is required for the emigration of newly generated B lymphocytes and for their maintenance in the periphery. A specific maintenance defect was noted in fraction I (IgDhighIgMlow) B cells in Xid mice (which harbor a mutation in Btk). Although Bcl-2 levels in fractions I and II (IgDhighIgMhigh) are equivalent in normal and Xid B cells, a novel peak of Bcl-2low fraction III (IgDlowIgMhigh) B cells was noted in the Xid mouse. Since this B cell population resembled bone marrow immature B cells, we examined the emigration of newly formed B cells in normal and Xid mice. These studies revealed the accelerated emigration of newly formed Xid B cells. We conclude that distinct Btk-independent and Btk-dependent signals mediate emigration and maintenance events during peripheral B cell maturation.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Two or more positive selection events may be involved in the development of naive B lymphocytes. The first event occurs at the pro-B to pre-B transition, driven by signals from the pre-B receptor (1, 2, 3, 4). Subsequently, signals from the B cell receptor play a role in the maturation and persistence of naive peripheral B cells (5, 6).

It was established by Hardy et al. (7, 8) that peripheral B cells can be categorized into fractions I, II, and III based on the relative levels of IgM and IgD, and that fraction I (IgDhighIgMlow) cells are considerably diminished in the Xid mouse. A similar phenotype has been described in Btk3 null (9, 10, 11), and CD45 null mice (12). Btk is known to be downstream of the B cell receptor (13, 14, 15), and CD45 is essential for Ag receptor signaling (16). In contrast, CD22 plays an inhibitory role in B cell receptor signaling; in CD22 null mice fraction I cells are more abundant than in wild-type mice (17, 18, 19). These findings have lent support to the view that positive selection or ligand-independent signaling via the Ag receptor might drive the formation or survival of fraction I cells. The phenotypes of the Xid, Btk null, CD45 null, and CD22 null mice all indirectly suggest that the development or persistence of fraction I cells might be regulated by Ag receptor signaling.

The emigration of recently generated B cells from the bone marrow to the periphery has been demonstrated to depend on signals from the B cell receptor (5). Only a proportion of newly generated B cells actually reach the periphery (3, 20, 21). How much of this cell loss is attributable to positive or negative selection, and whether cells are lost in the bone marrow or soon after entering peripheral organs remain unclear. Although earlier evidence from transgenic models suggests that self-reactive immature B cells may be eliminated during development (22, 23), it is also possible that few developing cells are actually deleted by self Ags; receptor editing may represent a major mechanism for containing self reactivity during early development (24, 25, 26, 27). Once B cells leave the bone marrow they migrate through the T cell areas of peripheral lymphoid organs on their way to follicular niches. It is possible that the Syk tyrosine kinase is required for emigration from the bone marrow and for the process of follicular entry (28).

Studies on B cell life span have suggested the existence of a short-lived population of B cells with a half-life of 3–4 days and a longer lived population with a half-life of about 6 wk (29, 30, 31). The recent studies of Lam et al. (6) have suggested that once B cells enter the periphery, signals from the Ag receptor are required for the maintenance of long-lived B cells. The life span in vivo of B cells in Xid mice is reduced when they are placed in competition with normal B cells (32, 33), and these results are supported by studies indicating a decreased viability of Xid B cells in vitro (34). It is possible that Btk participates in the Ag receptor-mediated peripheral persistence of naive B lymphocytes.

We ask whether the relative absence of only fraction I cells in mice lacking Btk represented a defect in the maturation from fraction II to fraction I or a defect in the survival specifically of fraction I cells. Our results suggest that a Btk-dependent maintenance checkpoint during naive B cell maturation is manifest specifically in fraction I B cells. As a presumed consequence of this maintenance defect, the emigration of newly generated B cells into the periphery occurs in an accelerated fashion in Xid mice.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Mice

Eight- to twelve-week-old CBA/Ca and CBA/N mice from The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME) were used in this study. Age- and sex-matched mice were used in all experiments.

Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling

Pulse labeling with BrdU was performed by injecting mice i.p. with a single 5-mg dose of BrdU (Sigma) dissolved in 0.5 ml of sterile PBS. All injections were timed to permit the simultaneous harvest of lymphocytes from multiple groups of mice at a fixed time (0800 h). Continuous labeling was performed by feeding mice 0.25 mg/ml of BrdU (31) in drinking water along with 2 mg/ml of glucose for 4, 8, and 22 days. Water bottles were shielded from light, and BrdU was replaced every 3 days. Control mice were injected with sterile PBS or were fed normal water.

Abs, staining, and flow cytometry (FCM)

The following murine mAb conjugates were used: FITC-DS-1 and r-phycoerythrin-DS-1 (anti-IgMa (Igh-6a), mouse IgG1b), biotin (BI)-R6-60.2 (anti-IgM, rat IgG2a), FITC-AMS 9.1 and BI-AMS 9.1 (anti-IgDa (Igh-5a), mouse IgG2bb), FITC-11-26c.2a (anti-IgD, rat IgG2a, {kappa}), purified 3F11 (anti-Bcl-2 mAb, hamster IgG), BI-G70-204 and G94-56 (anti-hamster IgG (mixture) mAb, mouse IgG1 and IgG2b), FITC-7G6 (anti-CD21/CD35, rat IgG2b, {kappa}, all from PharMingen, San Diego, CA), and FITC-B44 (anti-BrdU, mouse IgG1, {kappa}, Becton Dickinson, Mountain View, CA). Biotinylated Abs were revealed by streptavidin-fluorochrome conjugates. Isotype controls (all from PharMingen) were used where relevant.

Single cell suspensions were made from spleen and bone marrow (femur and tibia). For surface staining, 1 x 106 cells were reacted with 2.4G2 (anti-CD16/CD32 (Fc{gamma} III/II receptor), rat IgG2b, {kappa}, culture supernatant) before staining. Intracellular staining to detect BrdU incorporated into DNA was performed using the method of Tough and Sprent (35). Intracellular staining to detect Bcl-2 was performed using the method of Veis et al. (36).

FCM analysis was performed on an EPICS Elite ESP (Coulter, Hialeah, FL) flow cytometer equipped with a UV-enhanced argon ion blue laser and a helium/neon red laser. In general, negative controls were used to set voltage, and single-color positive controls were used for electronic compensation. Isotype controls were included to determine background staining. Viable cells were determined by forward and side scatter characteristics, and 1 x 104 to 5 x 104 gated events were collected. Gates in the spleen for fractions I, II, and III were set according to the method of Hardy et al. (7, 8), and the gates for fraction E and fractions I, II, and III in the bone marrow were set according to the methods of Hardy (37) and Hendriks (11). Processed samples were analyzed using EPICS Elite analysis software.

Curve fitting

For the BrdU uptake data points, curves of best fit by the least squares method were generated using MacCurveFit 1.4 (Kevin Raner Software, Mt. Waverly, Australia), a shareware program available on the World Wide Web.

Cell death analysis

Annexin V (38) and merocyanine 540 (MC 540) (39) were independently used to detect the appearance of phosphatidylserine on the outer leaflet of the cell membrane. Annexin staining was performed using standard methodology recommended by the manufacturer. Briefly, 1 x 106 splenocytes were initially incubated in 200 µl of PBS for 30 min at 37°C. This step was omitted in some experiments without any discernible alteration in the results. The cells were washed once in PBS at 4°C and then stained with phycoerythrin-IgMa and FITC-IgDa in the presence of 2.4G2 on ice. After washing once in PBS followed by another wash in annexin V binding buffer (10 mM HEPES (pH 7.4), 140 mM NaCl, and 2.5 mM CaCl2) the cells were reacted with 5 µl of biotin (BI)-annexin V (10 µg/ml stock; PharMingen) in 100 µl of binding buffer, gently vortexed, and incubated in the dark for 15 min at room temperature. After washing once in binding buffer at 4°C the BI reagent was revealed by incubating with SAv-Red 613 for 15 min at room temperature in the dark. The cells were washed once at 4°C, resuspended, placed on ice, and analyzed immediately.

For MC 540 staining the method of Reid et al. (39) was used. Briefly, 1 x 106 splenocytes were incubated at 37°C for 30 min. In some experiments the 37°C incubation step was omitted, and similar results were obtained. Following a wash in PBS at 4°C, 2.4G2 was added along with IgMa and IgDa fluorescent conjugates, and the cells were incubated at 4°C for 30 min. After a wash, the cells were resuspended in 200 µl of 10 µg/ml MC 540 (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR) in PBS, incubated for 15 min in the dark at room temperature, washed once at 4°C, resuspended, placed on ice, and analyzed immediately.

To detect early apoptosis in the context of the cell cycle, combined MC 540 and Hoechst 33342 (which binds to A-T-rich regions of DNA) staining was performed using the method of Reid et al. (39) with some modifications. Briefly, 1 x 106 splenocytes were reacted with 200 µl of 5 µg/ml Hoechst 33342 (Ho 33342, Molecular Probes) in PBS and incubated in a 37°C water bath in the dark for 30 min. The cells were washed once with PBS, resuspended in 200 µl of 10 µg/ml MC 540 in PBS, and incubated for 15 min in the dark at room temperature. Following a wash in PBS, 2.4G2 was added along with FITC-IgD and BI-IgM, incubated at 4°C in the dark for 30 min, washed once, and incubated with SAv-APC for an additional 30 min at 4°C. The cells were washed once, resuspended in PBS, and analyzed immediately. Ho33342 was excited with approximately 7 mW of UV laser light (351–363 nm multiline), and fluorescence was detected with a 405-nm bandpass filter. MC 540 fluorescence was detected in the phycoerythrin channel. The gates to separate MC540 bright from dull cells were set by looking for a natural break in the staining profile of the 2n population (40).


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Specific increase in apoptosis of fraction I B cells in the Xid mouse

Murine peripheral B cells can be subdivided into fractions I (IgDhighIgMlow), II (IgDhighIgMhigh), and III (IgDlowIgMhigh; Fig. 1Go) (7). We have established in separate studies4 that normal peripheral B cell development actually proceeds from fraction III to fraction II to fraction I. Fraction I cells are greatly reduced in the Xid mouse (7, 8) (Fig. 1Go). In Xid mice there is a 3.5-fold decrease in absolute numbers of fraction I cells compared with normal littermates, with a 1.8-fold increase in fraction II cells and a modest 1.4-fold increase in fraction III cells (see Fig. 1Go). The reduced numbers of fraction I (IgDhighIgMlow) B cells in the absence of Btk could reflect either the failure of maturation of cells from fraction II to fraction I or a specific increase in the death of fraction I cells.



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FIGURE 1. Two-color FCM analysis of fractions I, II, and III on splenocytes from CBA/Ca and CBA/N (Xid) mice. Numbers represent the percentage of IgM/IgD fractions per 40,000 viable lymphoid cells. In Xid mice the decrease in cells of fraction I and the increase in cells of fractions II and III are not relative because the differences persist when absolute numbers are calculated (CBA/Ca: fraction I, 16.7 x 106; fraction II, 7.1 x 106; fraction III, 4.3 x 106; CBA/N: fraction I, 4.8 x 106; fraction II, 12.9 x 106; fraction III, 6.1 x 106).

 
To determine whether the absence of Btk selectively led to the death of the most mature fraction of peripheral B cells, we examined apoptotic death in B cell fractions from Xid and normal mice using multiple approaches. In separate experiments we examined cell death using annexin V and by staining cells with MC 540. Both methods reveal the presence of phosphatidylserine on the cell surface. Examination of cells in fractions I, II, and III in Xid and control mice using annexin V (Fig. 2Goa) revealed that while the proportions of cells undergoing apoptosis in fractions III and II were similar in normal and Xid B cells, a twofold increase in death in fraction I B cells was observed in the Xid mouse. Staining with MC 540 provided similar estimates of apoptosis to those obtained with annexin V (Fig. 2Gob). The twofold increase in death was still seen when nonviable cells, defined by forward and side scatter, were excluded from analysis (data not shown). When cells were stained with MC 540 and Hoechst 33342, an approximately two- to threefold increase in <2n cells was noted specifically in fraction I in the Xid mouse (Table IGo). It should be noted that the percentage of apoptotic cells in Fig. 2Go and the percentage of <2n cells in Table IGo differ. Phosphatidylserine exposure represents an early marker of apoptosis, while DNA fragmentation is generally seen later in the apoptotic process. Since phosphatidylserine-positive cells can be phagocytosed by macrophages, many of these cells may not survive long enough in vivo to manifest <2n changes. Regardless of the method used, fraction I cells in the Xid mouse show a two- to threefold increase in apoptosis. These studies indicate that a specific increase in the apoptotic death of fraction I (but not fraction II or fraction III cells) occurs in the Xid mouse, suggesting that the loss of these naive end-stage B cells might account for the relative absence of fraction I cells in the absence of Btk-derived signals.



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FIGURE 2. Increased apoptosis of fraction I B cells, but not of fractions II and III, in the Xid mouse. a, Increased death of fraction I B cells in the Xid mouse revealed by annexin V staining. Annexin V staining of fractions I, II, and III B cells from control and Xid mice was performed. Negative controls were unstained cells, cells stained with SAv-Red 613 alone, and cells stained with phycoerythrin-IgMa, FITC-IgDa, and SAv-Red 613. Positive control was cells stained with BI-Annexin V-SAvRed 613 alone. Numbers represent the percentage of the fraction that is annexin V positive. Representative results are shown. b, Increased death of fraction I B cells in the Xid mouse revealed by MC 540 staining. MC 540 staining of fractions I, II, and III B cells from control and Xid mice was performed. MC 540-positive and -negative populations were gated by looking for a natural break between the two populations. Similar results were obtained with four sets of mice; representative results are shown. Error bars represent the SEM. Ungated refers to the fact that all splenocytes were gated, not just cells defined on the basis of forward and side scatter as being in the lymphocyte gate.

 

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Table I. <2n cells in splenic B lineage populations in control and Xid mice

 
In the absence of functional Btk, Bcl-2 levels are unchanged but Bcl-2-deficient precursors emerge in the periphery

It has been suggested (34, 41) that Bcl-2 levels are decreased in Xid mice and that it is the regulation of the amounts of this protein that might account for the presumed overall proclivity of these B cells to undergo apoptosis. However, Bcl-2 was not examined at a single cell level in those studies, and it is possible that Btk does not actually influence Bcl-2 expression; total Bcl-2 levels may be skewed by the relative absence of more mature cells in Xid mice. Indeed, a direct examination of Bcl-2 expression in fractions I, II, and III in normal and Xid mice revealed that there is no real difference in the levels of Bcl-2 in fractions I and II in normal and Xid B cells (Fig. 3Go). This suggests that the relative absence of fraction I cells in Xid mice cannot be directly correlated with the level of Bcl-2 expression. Further, in Xid mice, fraction III cells can be subdivided into Bcl-2low and Bcl-2high cells, whereas in control mice most fraction III B cells express relatively high levels of Bcl-2 (Fig. 3Go). Immature B cells in the bone marrow express low levels of Bcl-2 (42) (our unpublished observations). The presence of increased numbers of immature cells in fraction III of Xid mice was corroborated by our CD21 studies (Fig. 4Go). Newly formed cells in the spleen are CD21dim/- (43). In fraction III cells of Xid mice the CD21dim/- population is significantly increased. This suggests that fraction III in Xid mice may include an increased proportion of immature B cells.



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FIGURE 3. In Xid mice Bcl-2 levels are not altered in individual splenic B cell fractions, but Bcl-2low cells appear in the periphery. Bcl-2 levels in fractions I, II, and III in splenocytes of CBA/Ca and CBA/N (Xid) mice were determined by three-color FCM analysis with surface staining of IgM and IgD and intracellular staining of Bcl-2. The frequencies of Bcl-2-labeled cells in IgM/IgD fractions per 30,000 viable splenocytes were compared. The bar demarcates isotype control staining, which was similar for both CBA/Ca and CBA/N (only the CBA/Ca isotype control is shown). Anti-Bcl-2 and anti-hamster IgG (as an isotype control) were used at the same protein concentration, 2 µg/106 cells. Data shown are representative of seven pairs of CBA/Ca and CBA/N mice.

 


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FIGURE 4. In splenic fraction III of Xid mice the numbers of CD21dim/- cells are increased. CD21 levels were determined by three-color FCM analysis. The frequencies of CD21-labeled cells in IgM/IgD fractions per 30,000 viable splenocytes were compared. The bar demarcates CD21dim/- staining. Data shown are representative of three pairs of CBA/Ca and CBA/N mice.

 
Accelerated emigration of B cells in the Xid mouse

To obtain kinetic information on peripheral B cell maturation in the absence of Btk-derived signals, we studied cohorts of BrdU-labeled B cells in CBA/N (Xid) and CBA/Ca (control) mice. Our goal was to follow the fate of a cohort of newly generated B cells after a very brief in vivo labeling pulse of bone marrow precursors. It has been previously shown (44) that a single injection of BrdU can result in the labeling of almost all cycling cells in the bone marrow. We expected a certain proportion of activated cycling peripheral B cells to incorporate BrdU initially, but hoped to see a wave of BrdU-labeled cells develop in the periphery from bone marrow precursors. Cell cycle analyses of splenocytes from normal and Xid mice showed a very small proportion of cycling cells in normal and Xid mice (data not shown).

In the course of our BrdU labeling studies, total bone marrow and spleen cell counts across all time points were similar to those in uninjected controls, confirming that a single injection is nontoxic. When bone marrow populations were examined in detail, peak BrdU labeling was noted in IgM+IgD- cells (fraction E, in the nomenclature of Hardy et al. (37)) at the 2 day point (Fig. 5Go, a and b). This is consistent with the 1-day delay in pre-B to B cell maturation noted in studies using [3H]thymidine as a label (45). The steep decline in fraction E cells on day 3 was assumed to represent massive death of B cells at the bone marrow fraction E to splenic fraction III transition, migration to the periphery, or both. Examination of the progression of labeled cells in the spleen revealed a marked increase in the emergence of fraction III B cells in Xid mice (Fig. 5Go, c and d). There is no defect in the generation of B cells in the Xid mouse (9, 11, 46). Our own results in Fig. 5Go, a and b, suggest a slight increase in the number of newly formed B cells in the bone marrow of the Xid mouse, but this increase is statistically not significant, representing at most a 1.2-fold increase in the peak levels of newly formed B cells in the Xid mouse. However, there is a 3- to 4-fold increase in the total number of BrdU-labeled splenic fraction III B cells in the Xid mouse compared with that in CBA/Ca mice (Fig. 5Go, c and d). The sharpest increase is on day 2 followed by a peak on day 3 (Fig. 5Goe) and a rapid decrease thereafter (data not shown).



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FIGURE 5. Pulse labeling of CBA/Ca and CBA/N B cells with BrdU reveals accelerated entry of Xid B cells into fraction III in the periphery. a and b, Analysis of bone marrow populations. Viable IgM/IgD stained cells were gated, and BrdU-positive cells were counted. Cells harvested at the time of peak BrdU uptake (day 2, in this case) were used to determine the BrdU-positive gate. Cells from control mice not injected with BrdU but stained with FITC-anti-BrdU were used to determine background. Background staining in each fraction from two or three control mice was subtracted from all test results. Absolute numbers of BrdU-labeled cells in fractions I (IgMlow, IgDhigh), II (IgMhigh, IgDhigh), and III (IgMhigh, IgDlow) and fraction E (IgMhigh, IgD-) are shown. The difference in absolute numbers of fraction E in normal and Xid mice was not significant (by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test, p = 0.0955). Three control or Xid mice were analyzed at each time point. Error bars in both represent the SEM. c and d, Analysis of BrdU-labeled splenic B cell fractions in CBA/Ca and Xid mice. Absolute numbers of BrdU-labeled cells in fractions I, II, and III are shown. Data from nine CBA/Ca mice are included for each of the 2 and 3 day points, data from nine Xid mice are included for the 2 day point, and six mice each were used for all other points. Error bars in both represent the SEM. e, Representative FCM histograms of splenocytes from normal and Xid mice. Xid mice show a sharp increase in newly formed fraction III cells on days 2 and 3. The bar represents BrdU-positive cells in each fraction.

 
The accelerated emergence of newly formed splenic fraction III cells in the Xid mouse most likely reflects an increase in emigration from the bone marrow. However, these BrdU pulse studies did not rule out the formal possibility that the enhanced labeling of fraction III cells in the Xid mouse represented decreased transit from fractions III to II rather than increased transit from bone marrow fraction E to splenic fraction III. We sought to address this issue and to complement the pulse studies by performing steady state estimations of BrdU-labeled cells. In BrdU loading experiments the rate of accumulation of labeled cells in a fraction reflects a balance between the magnitude of cell entry into the fraction and loss because of either developmental progression into the next stage or ongoing apoptotic cell death in this fraction. In the normal mouse (Fig. 6Go, upper panel) the slope of BrdU-positive fraction III cells begins to plateau soon after day 8, suggesting that a steady state is imminent. By day 22 the steady state is evident. The slope of fraction II cells suggests similar kinetics of cell entry and exit. The slope of fraction I cells continued to rise on day 22, suggesting ongoing accumulation of labeled cells in this fraction. In the Xid mouse (Fig. 6Go, lower panel), the initial part of the slope of BrdU-positive fraction III cells was steep and shifted to the left compared with that in normal mice, suggesting rapid entry of cells within 4 days (the earliest time point studied). This is in agreement with our earlier pulse data. The slope plateaued by day 8, supporting an accelerated entry process. The difference between the mean absolute numbers of BrdU-labeled fraction III cells on day 22 in Xid and normal mice was not statistically significant (by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test, p = 0.1917). Given the high rate of input of BrdU-positive cells into fraction III, one might predict that fraction II in the Xid mouse should accumulate BrdU-positive cells at a relatively higher rate than normal if transit from fractions III to II was not hindered. Indeed, the slope of fraction II in the Xid mouse continued to rise on day 22, suggesting an ongoing accumulation of labeled cells in this fraction. The difference between the mean absolute numbers of BrdU-positive fraction II cells on day 22 in Xid and normal mice was statistically significant (by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test, p = 0.0132). These data are in line with the increase in absolute numbers seen in fraction II of Xid mice (see Fig. 1Go). Although this increase in absolute numbers of fraction II cells can be explained by the increased ingress from fraction III, some impairment of the maturation process from fraction II to fraction I cannot be completely excluded. The slope of fraction I cell accumulation in Xid mice is dramatically decreased compared with normal, in agreement with our apoptosis data. The difference between the mean absolute numbers of BrdU-positive fraction I cells on day 22 in Xid and normal mice was statistically extremely significant (by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test, p = 0.0001).



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FIGURE 6. Accelerated entry of BrdU-labeled cells into fraction III in Xid mice. Three pairs of CBA/Ca and CBA/N mice per time point were fed BrdU continuously in drinking water. Absolute numbers of BrdU-labeled cells in fractions I, II, and III are shown. Curve fitting was performed using the least squares method.

 
Our data in Figs. 2–6GoGoGoGoGo suggest that in the Xid mouse there is an increased loss of mature fraction I B cells in the periphery and accelerated egress of newly formed B cells from the bone marrow. Taken as a whole these results indicate that while Btk-derived signals are essential for the maintenance of naive mature B cells (and thus for generation of the long-lived pool), Btk is not required for the emigration of B cells from the bone marrow to the periphery. Indeed, accelerated emigration of newly formed B cells is noted in the Xid mouse.


    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The absence of fraction I cells in the Xid mouse and the increase in fraction III and II cells could have represented a maturational block from fraction II to fraction I and a consequent "pile-up" of precursors (Fig. 1Go). Our data, however, suggest that the loss of fraction I cells is best explained by a specific increase in apoptotic death in this fraction in the absence of Btk-derived signals. The increase in newly formed cells in fraction III does not appear to represent the mere accumulation of precursors in response to a developmental block, but appears to reflect the accelerated export of immature cells from the bone marrow, possibly as part of a feedback process as discussed below.

The survival of fraction I B cells appears to be a critical maintenance event that may be permissive for the accumulation of long-lived B cells. Recently, Lam et al. (6) observed the failure of B cell maintenance in the absence of Ag receptor-mediated signals in peripheral B cells. B cell receptor-mediated signals may also be required for the specific maintenance of fraction I B cells. This suggests that the maturational process may be divided into Btk-independent and Btk-dependent components (Fig. 7Go). The Btk-independent component of the maturational signal presumably depends on Syk and probably regulates bone marrow emigration and/or follicular entry (28).



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FIGURE 7. A model for checkpoints during maturation of B cells that have completed heavy and light chain gene rearrangements. Btk is essential for the maintenance of fraction I B cells. A Btk-independent positive selection step may influence emigration from the bone marrow. Emigration may be accelerated as part of a feedback process.

 
Our results indicate that Btk is not required for the emigration of B cells and that distinct signals mediate emigration and maintenance events during peripheral B cell maturation. In principle, the increased egress of Xid B cells from the bone marrow could reflect a decrease in negative selection in the absence of Btk or accelerated emigration of bone marrow B cells because Btk normally inhibits these processes. The data supporting the accelerated emergence of fraction III B cells in the periphery of Xid mice suggests that a feedback process might normally regulate the process of B cell export from the bone marrow. This feedback process could reflect the paucity of mature responsive peripheral B cells that is somehow sensed by the bone marrow or could reflect the specific absence of circulating IgM in the Xid mouse because of the absence of B-1 cells. It is unclear whether the B cell receptor-generated signals that mediate emigration from the bone marrow reflect the constitutive activation of this receptor in the absence of ligand or depend on "tickling" by low valence self Ags. If the latter is correct, high levels of circulating IgM could potentially attenuate the signals required for emigration. The mechanisms regulating the accelerated emergence of Xid B cells are currently being investigated.

The absence of a population of IgMlow B cells was first noted in the Xid mouse >2 decades ago (47). While the relative absence of fraction I B cells in mice that lack Btk or CD45 may well be explained by the absence of a maintenance event, these results may also indirectly bear upon the relative inability of B cells to proliferate in response to Ag receptor ligation in Xid, Btk null, and CD45 null mice. Our data do not support the view that Bcl-2 levels in mature B cells are regulated by Btk signals.

It is likely that, as has long been surmised (48), immature B cells are over-represented in the periphery of Xid mice. Indeed, in more recent studies (41) the relative proportion of HSAhigh peripheral B cells has been shown to be increased in the Xid mouse, also suggesting an enhanced representation of immature cells in the periphery. There have been suggestions that Ag receptor ligation of Xid B cells may compromise the induction of survival factors or of molecules involved in cell cycle progression (49, 50, 51). It should be considered, based on our studies above, that many of these results might reflect not an intrinsic signaling defect but, rather, the examination of a skewed, less mature population of B cells in the Xid mouse. It will be necessary to re-examine some of these issues using purified B cell fractions. Increased peripheral B cell survival has been noted in Xid mice expressing a Bcl-2 transgene. However these B cells are unable to proliferate in response to Ag receptor cross-linking (52, 53). Partial rescue of peripheral B cell survival and partial correction of the defect in anti-IgM-mediated proliferation were observed in Xid B cells expressing a Bcl-XL transgene, although most "rescued" mice harbored B cells with high surface IgM and had few CD5-expressing peritoneal B cells (51). Careful analyses of the maturation of B cells and the relative proportions of B cells in fractions I, II, and III remain to be performed in Xid mice expressing either Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL transgenes.

Apart from the rapid increase in BrdU-labeled fraction III cells, we also observed a dramatic decrease in the accumulation of labeled fraction I B cells in the Xid mouse in continuous labeling experiments performed over a 22-day period. These observations are consistent with the accelerated emigration of newly formed fraction III B cells and the increased apoptotic death of fraction I B cells. Newly formed fraction III B cells represent a transient population (see Footnote 4) and probably correspond to the short-lived B cells described in other studies (29, 30, 31). Extended labeling studies examining the half-lives of individual B cell fractions in wild-type and Xid mice might lead to a more precise phenotypic definition of short-lived and long-lived B cells. In another study, when wild-type and Xid mice were allowed to ingest BrdU for 6 days, a significantly higher proportion of Xid peripheral B cells was labeled, suggesting that these cells turn over faster than wild-type B cells (54). Our results are consistent with this view, but suggest that the increased turnover in the periphery may reflect both the specific loss of potentially long-lived fraction I cells and the enhanced representation in the periphery of newly formed and presumably short-lived fraction III B cells.

In conclusion, IgDhighIgMlow peripheral B lymphocytes depend on Btk-derived signals for their maintenance. Probably as a consequence of the absence either of mature naive B cells or B-1 cells, accelerated emigration from the bone marrow of newly formed B lymphocytes ensues. Whether this accelerated emigration reflects a feedback process mediated via the B cell receptor remains to be established.


    Acknowledgments
 
We thank Ivan Stamenkovic, Abul Abbas, Bobby Cherayil, Fred Finkelman, and Manish Ponda for comments. We thank John Daley and Suzan Kallanian for their contributions.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported by Grants AI33507 and CA69618 from the National Institutes of Health. Back

2 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. S. Pillai, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, 149 13th St., Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, MA 02129. E-mail address: Back

3 Abbreviations used in this paper: Btk, Bruton’s tyrosine kinase; BrdU, bromodeoxyuridine; FCM, flow cytometry; BI, biotin; MC 540, merocyanine 540. Back

4 A. Cariappa, T. J. Kim, and Shiv Pillai. Ordered events during peripheral B cell maturation. Submitted for publication. Back

Received for publication October 13, 1998. Accepted for publication January 14, 1999.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

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