International Immunology, Vol. 13, No. 5, 705-710,
May 2001
© 2001 Japanese Society for Immunology
Regulation of CD21 expression by DNA methylation and histone deacetylation
1 Immunology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Konstanz, M662, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
2 Biotechnologie Institut Thurgau, Konstanzerstrasse 19, 8274 Tägerwilen, Switzerland
Correspondence to: H. Illges, Immunology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Konstanz, M662, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
The complement receptor II (CD21) serves as a receptor for the complement component C3d of immune complexes on B lymphocytes. Expression of the CD21 gene is tightly regulated during B lymphocyte differentiation. Only mature B lymphocytes, but not pro-, pre- or plasma B lymphocytes, express CD21. There is evidence that cell type-specific expression is mediated by a silencer element located in the first intron. The CD21 promoter region contains a CpG island adjacent to the ATG start codon. We have analyzed the methylation status of this CpG island in B lymphoid cell lines representing the various differentiation stages of B lymphocyte development and primary lymphocytes. We found that the pro-, pre- and intermediate B lymphocytes contain a methylated CpG island and do not express CD21, whereas CD21-expressing mature B lymphocytes, plasma B lymphocytes and non-lymphoid cells carry a demethylated CD21 CpG island. To analyze whether the lack of CD21 expression in early B lymphocytes is due to inhibition by CpG methylation we have used 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine to inhibit DNA methyltransferase activity. Treatment of pro-B lymphocytes with the drug resulted in expression of CD21. We have also applied Trichostatin A (TSA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylation, to determine whether the state of histone deacetylation affects the expression of CD21. We found that TSA induces expression of CD21 in early B lymphocytes. Thus CD21 expression is controlled by both methylation of the CD21 CpG island and chromatin modification through histone deacetylation in early B lymphocyte development.
Keywords: B lymphocyte, chromatin, complement receptor II, CR2, differentiation
Transmitting editor: A. Radbruch
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  I. Debnath, K. M. Roundy, J. J. Weis, and J. H. Weis Defining In Vivo Transcription Factor Complexes of the Murine CD21 and CD23 Genes J. Immunol., June 1, 2007; 178(11): 7139 - 7150. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Aichem, M. Masilamani, and H. Illges Redox regulation of CD21 shedding involves signaling via PKC and indicates the formation of a juxtamembrane stalk J. Cell Sci., July 15, 2006; 119(14): 2892 - 2902. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Gebhard, L. Schwarzfischer, T.-H. Pham, E. Schilling, M. Klug, R. Andreesen, and M. Rehli Genome-wide profiling of CpG methylation identifies novel targets of aberrant hypermethylation in myeloid leukemia. Cancer Res., June 15, 2006; 66(12): 6118 - 6128. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H.-g. Hu, H. Illges, C. Gruss, and R. Knippers Distribution of the chromatin protein DEK distinguishes active and inactive CD21/CR2 gene in pre- and mature B lymphocytes Int. Immunol., June 1, 2005; 17(6): 789 - 796. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Sato, A. Maitra, N. Fukushima, N. T. van Heek, H. Matsubayashi, C. A. Iacobuzio-Donahue, C. Rosty, and M. Goggins Frequent Hypomethylation of Multiple Genes Overexpressed in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cancer Res., July 15, 2003; 63(14): 4158 - 4166. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Bhatia, A. K Siraj, A. Hussain, R. Bu, and M. I Gutierrez The Tumor Suppressor Gene 14-3-3{sigma} Is Commonly Methylated in Normal and Malignant Lymphoid Cells Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., February 1, 2003; 12(2): 165 - 169. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. P. Friday, S. L. Pietropaolo, J. Profozich, M. Trucco, and M. Pietropaolo Alternative Core Promoters Regulate Tissue-specific Transcription from the Autoimmune Diabetes-related ICA1 (ICA69) Gene Locus J. Biol. Chem., January 3, 2003; 278(2): 853 - 863. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. M. Thomas, K. Haleem, A. B. Siddique, W. J. Simmons, N. Sen, D.-J. Zhang, and V. K. Tsiagbe Regulation of Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus env Transcriptional Activator Initiated Mammary Tumor Virus Superantigen Transcripts in Lymphomas of SJL/J Mice: Role of Ikaros, Demethylation, and Chromatin Structural Change in the Transcriptional Activation of Mammary Tumor Virus Superantigen J. Immunol., January 1, 2003; 170(1): 218 - 227. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. L. B. Cabral, K. S. Lee, and V. R. Martins Regulation of the Cellular Prion Protein Gene Expression Depends on Chromatin Conformation J. Biol. Chem., February 8, 2002; 277(7): 5675 - 5682. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|