When:
Thursday, January 16, 2020
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CT
Where: Robert H Lurie Medical Research Center, Baldwin Auditorium, 303 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611 map it
Audience: Faculty/Staff - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students
Contact:
Dr. Chyung-Ru Wang
(312) 503-9748
Group: Department of Microbiology-Immunology Seminars/Events
Category: Lectures & Meetings
Title: Epigenetic Regulation of B Cell Response
Speaker: Chan-Wang Lio, PhD, La Jolla Institute
Host: Chyung-Ru Wang, PhD
Topic:
The B-cell-mediated antibody response is essential for the protection against pathogens. Following maturation, B cells progressively demethylate their DNA, a process with unknown physiological significance and consequence. Here, we showed that TET (Ten-Eleven Translocation)-mediated DNA modification and demethylation are required for efficient antibody isotype switching in B cells. The 5-methylcytosine oxidases TETs modify the DNA at the super-enhancer and facilitate the expression of AID (Activation-induced cytidine deaminase), the essential enzyme for antibody maturation. Thus, our study shows that proper epigenetic regulation in B cells is fundamental to a productive antibody response. Further investigations of the epigenome may provide new avenues to modulate and improve vaccination outcomes.