Abstract
OBF-1 (Bob.1, OCA-B) is a lymphoid-specific transcriptional coactivator that associates with the transcription factors Oct-1 or Oct-2 on the conserved octamer element present in the promoters of several ubiquitous and lymphoid-specific genes. OBF-1-deficient mice have B cell-intrinsic defects, lack germinal centers, and have severely impaired immune responses to T cell-dependent antigens. Crucial genes that are regulated by OBF-1 and that might explain the observed phenotype of OBF-1 deficiency have remained elusive to date. Here we have generated transgenic mice expressing OBF-1 specifically in T cells and examined these together with mice lacking OBF-1 to discover transcriptional targets of this coactivator. Using microarray analysis, we have identified the Ets transcription factor Spi-B as a direct target gene critically regulated by OBF-1 that can help explain the phenotype of OBF-1-deficient mice. Spi-B has been implicated in signaling pathways downstream of the B cell receptor and is essential for germinal center formation and maintenance. The present findings establish a hierarchy between these two factors and provide a molecular link between OBF-1 and B cell receptor signaling.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 11665-11670 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 103 |
Issue number | 31 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 1 2006 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- B cell development
- Gene regulation
- Transcription factors
- Transgenic mice
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General