Btk Supports Autoreactive B Cell Development and Protects against Apoptosis but Is Expendable for Antigen Presentation

Lindsay E. Nyhoff, Amber S. Griffith, Emily S. Clark, James W. Thomas, Wasif N. Khan, Peggy L. Kendall

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk) propagates B cell signaling, and BTK inhibitors are in clinical trials for autoimmune disease. Although autoreactive B cells fail to develop in the absence of Btk, its role in mature cells is unknown. To address this issue, a model of conditional removal (Btkflox/Cre-ERT2) was used to excise Btk from mature transgenic B cells that recognize the pathophysiologic autoantigen insulin. Anti-insulin B cells escape central tolerance and promote autoimmune diabetes, mimicking human autoreactive cells. Lifelong Btk deficiency was previously shown to eliminate 95% of anti-insulin B cells, but in this model, mature anti-insulin B cells survived for weeks after targeted Btk deletion, even when competing with a polyclonal repertoire. BCR-stimulated cells could still signal via Syk, PLCy2, and CD22, but failed to upregulate the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL, and proliferation was impaired. Surprisingly, Btk-depleted anti-insulin B cells could still present Ag and activate T cells, a critical function in promoting T cell mediated islet cell destruction. Thus, pharmacologic targeting of Btk may be most effective by blocking expansion of established autoreactive cells, and preventing emergence of new ones.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2922-2932
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Immunology
Volume207
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 15 2021

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