Regulation of adaptive immune responses by Bic/miR-155

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Antibodies are essential for immunity and are secreted by terminally differentiated B lymphocytes termed plasma cells. Antibodies protect individuals from infectious agents but in some diseases they may be pathogenic. As a consequence of this, understanding the molecular mechanisms of B cell differentiation is an important priority. B lymphocytes receive help from T cells to produce long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells; these latter cells are quiescent but rapidly reactivated upon antigen re-exposure. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the alternative fates of B cells is not completely understood. MicroRNAs are a recently discovered type of molecule increasingly recognised as being essential for many biological processes. MicroRNAs, also known as short interfering (si) RNAs, are copied from DNA but do not contain code for protein. Rather they control gene activity by binding to specific related sequences, thereby interfering with a gene's ability to produce the proteins that co-ordinate cellular activities. Nothing is known of the role of specific microRNAs in B lymphocyte differentatiation, but it is anticipated that microRNAs are important regulators of B function. In this regard, a particular miRNA has been reported to be expressed in B cells under certain conditions. Our preliminary experiments indicate that it might regulate important functions of B cells. This project is designed to gain a better understanding of how microRNAs work. The results will increase our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that regulate B and T lymphocytes during the course of an immune response. The knowledge obtained will provide insights into a new mechanism regulating lymphocyte differentiation.

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