Abstract
To be effective, the adaptive immune response requires a large repertoire of antigen receptors, which are generated through V(D)J recombination in lymphoid precursors. These precursors must be protected from DNA damage-induced cell death, however, because V(D)J recombination generates double-strand breaks and may activate p53. Here we show that the BTB/POZ domain protein Miz-1 restricts p53-dependent induction of apoptosis in both pro-B and DN3a pre-T cells that actively rearrange antigen receptor genes. Miz-1 exerts this function by directly activating the gene for ribosomal protein L22 (Rpl22), which binds to p53 mRNA and negatively regulates its translation. This mechanism limits p53 expression levels and thus contains its apoptosis-inducing functions in lymphocytes, precisely at differentiation stages in which V(D)J recombination occurs.
Keywords:
Miz-1; Rpl22; V(D)J recombination; p53.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Analysis of Variance
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Animals
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Cell Death / physiology
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Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
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Flow Cytometry
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Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
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Gene Expression Regulation / physiology*
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Genetic Vectors / genetics
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Immunoblotting
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Immunoprecipitation
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Lymphoid Progenitor Cells / physiology*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Nuclear Proteins / genetics
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Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
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Protein Biosynthesis / genetics
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Protein Biosynthesis / physiology*
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Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT / genetics
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Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT / metabolism*
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RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
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Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Ribosomal Proteins / metabolism*
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*
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Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
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V(D)J Recombination / genetics*
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V(D)J Recombination / physiology
Substances
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Nuclear Proteins
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Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT
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RNA-Binding Proteins
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RPL22 protein, mouse
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Ribosomal Proteins
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
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Miz1 protein, mouse
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Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases