Project name: Mus musculus

Description: Chromatin remodeling is fundamental for B cell differentiation. Here, we explored the role in this process of KAP1, the cofactor of KRAB-ZFP transcriptional repressors. B lymphoid-specific Kap1 knockout mice displayed reduced numbers of mature B cells, lower steady-state levels of antibodies and accelerated rates of decay of neutralizing antibodies following viral immunization. Transcriptome analyses of Kap1-deleted B splenocytes revealed an upregulation of PTEN, the enzymatic counter-actor of PIK3 signaling, and of genes encoding DNA damage response factors, cell-cycle regulators and chemokine receptors. ChIP/seq studies established that KAP1 bound at or close to a number of these genes, and controlled chromatin status at their promoters. Genome-wide, KAP1-binding sites avoided active B cell-specific enhancers and were enriched in repressive histone marks, further supporting a role for this molecule in gene silencing in vivo. Likely responsible for tethering KAP1 to at least some of these targets, a discrete subset of KRAB-ZFPs is enriched in B lymphocytes. This work thus reveals the role of KRAB/KAP1-mediated epigenetic regulation in B cell development and homeostasis.Overall design: Follicular (FO) and Transcriptional 2 Follicular Progenitor (T2-FP) B cells were sorted out from 3 CD19-Cre/Kap1flox (KAP1 KO in the B lineage) mice and 3 wt/Kap1flox littermate controls

Data type: Transcriptome or Gene expression

Sample scope: Multiisolate

Relevance: ModelOrganism

Release date: 2012-05-17

Last updated: 2011-12-14