| First Author | Descatoire M | Year | 2022 |
| Journal | Cell Rep | Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 10 | Pages | 110474 |
| PubMed ID | 35263577 | Mgi Jnum | J:324900 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:7281957 | Doi | 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110474 |
| Citation | Descatoire M, et al. (2022) Critical role of WASp in germinal center tolerance through regulation of B cell apoptosis and diversification. Cell Rep 38(10):110474 |
| abstractText | A main feature of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is increased susceptibility to autoimmunity. A key contribution of B cells to development of these complications has been demonstrated through studies of samples from affected individuals and mouse models of the disease, but the role of the WAS protein (WASp) in controlling peripheral tolerance has not been specifically explored. Here we show that B cell responses remain T cell dependent in constitutive WASp-deficient mice, whereas selective WASp deletion in germinal center B cells (GCBs) is sufficient to induce broad development of self-reactive antibodies and kidney pathology, pointing to loss of germinal center tolerance as a primary cause leading to autoimmunity. Mechanistically, we show that WASp is upregulated in GCBs and regulates apoptosis and plasma cell differentiation in the germinal center and that the somatic hypermutation-derived diversification is the basis of autoantibody development. |
