| First Author | Pérez-García A | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Nat Commun | Volume | 8 |
| Pages | 16067 | PubMed ID | 28677680 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:253153 | Mgi Id | MGI:5921081 |
| Doi | 10.1038/ncomms16067 | Citation | Perez-Garcia A, et al. (2017) CTCF orchestrates the germinal centre transcriptional program and prevents premature plasma cell differentiation. Nat Commun 8:16067 |
| abstractText | In germinal centres (GC) mature B cells undergo intense proliferation and immunoglobulin gene modification before they differentiate into memory B cells or long-lived plasma cells (PC). GC B-cell-to-PC transition involves a major transcriptional switch that promotes a halt in cell proliferation and the production of secreted immunoglobulins. Here we show that the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is required for the GC reaction in vivo, whereas in vitro the requirement for CTCF is not universal and instead depends on the pathways used for B-cell activation. CTCF maintains the GC transcriptional programme, allows a high proliferation rate, and represses the expression of Blimp-1, the master regulator of PC differentiation. Restoration of Blimp-1 levels partially rescues the proliferation defect of CTCF-deficient B cells. Thus, our data reveal an essential function of CTCF in maintaining the GC transcriptional programme and preventing premature PC differentiation. |
