Journal
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
Volume 9, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04234-4
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Funding
- NIH [T32 GM008490, F31 AI112261, T32 AI007610, F31 NS086130, R01 HL122559, RO1 AI123733, U19 AI110483, 5PO1 AI125180]
- American Cancer Society [PF-17-109-01]
- Emory Integrated Genomics Core Shared Resource of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
- NIH/NCI [P30 CA138292]
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B cells provide humoral immunity by differentiating into antibody-secreting plasma cells, a process that requires cellular division and is linked to DNA hypomethylation. Conversely, little is known about how de novo deposition of DNA methylation affects B cell fate and function. Here we show that genetic deletion of the de novo DNA methyltransferases Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b (Dnmt3-deficient) in mouse B cells results in normal B cell development and maturation, but increased cell activation and expansion of the germinal center B cell and plasma cell populations upon immunization. Gene expression is mostly unaltered in naive and germinal center B cells, but dysregulated in Dnmt3-deficient plasma cells. Differences in gene expression are proximal to Dnmt3-dependent DNA methylation and chromatin changes, both of which coincide with E2A and PU.1-IRF composite-binding motifs. Thus, de novo DNA methylation limits B cell activation, represses the plasma cell chromatin state, and regulates plasma cell differentiation.
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