Sialic acid acetylesterase (SIAE) is an enzyme that negatively regulates B lymphocyte antigen receptor signaling and is required for the maintenance of immunological tolerance in mice1, 2. Heterozygous loss-of-function germline rare variants and a homozygous defective polymorphic variant of SIAE were identified in 24/923 Caucasian subjects with relatively common autoimmune disorders and in 2/648 Caucasian controls. All heterozygous loss-of-function SIAE mutations tested were capable of functioning in a dominant negative manner. A homozygous secretion-defective polymorphic variant of SIAE was catalytically active, lacked the ability to function in a dominant negative manner, and was seen in 8 autoimmune subjects but in no control subjects. The Odds Ratio for inheriting defective SIAE alleles was 8.6 in all autoimmune subjects, 8.3 in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis, and 7.9 in subjects with type I diabetes. Functionally defective SIAE rare and polymorphic variants represent a strong genetic link to susceptibility in relatively common human autoimmune disorders.

No abstract

1258 Poster Board I-280 Background An inhibitory signaling pathway involving sialic acid 9-O-acetyl esterase (SIAE), sialic acid binding lectins (Siglecs) particularly Siglec-2/CD22, the Lyn tyrosine kinase, and the SH2 domain containing tyrosine phosphatase, SHP-1, attenuates B cell receptor signaling and sets a threshold for B cell activation. A key step in the process is the requirement that SIAE access N-glycans on Siglec ligands and remove 9-O-acetyl groups from terminal αa2,6 linked sialic acid moieties. Siglec-ligand interaction is followed by phosphorylation of ITIM tyrosines on CD22 by Lyn, and the recruitment of SHP-1 by CD22 resulting in signal attenuation (Cariappa et al., J.Exp.Med.2009, 206, 125). While Lyn has both positive and negative signaling functions, knockout mice studies suggest that inhibitory functions are dominant. Previous studies have shown that CLL cells overexpress active Lyn at the protein level and that Lyn is localized to sites beyond the plasma membrane. Although cell surface expression of CD22 is reduced in CLL, it is not known if CD22 can be accessed in CLL cells by promiscuously active Lyn. We sought to ask if cancer progression in CLL involves the evolution of mechanisms to evade inhibitory signaling, thus tipping the balance towards positive, pro-proliferative signaling by Lyn. Methods CLL B cells from patient and control subjects were isolated. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot approaches were used to quantitate the total cellular levels of Lyn and CD22αa and β proteins at the protein level, the ratio of CD22 phosphorylated on an inhibitory tyrosine to total CD22, recruitment of SHP-1 by CD22, the activation of Syk, the expression of c-Cbl and the recruitment of PI3K by c-Cbl in CLL and control B cells. Results A modest decrease in total CD22αa and β proteins was observed in CLL but a dramatic reduction in the proportion of ITIM-phosphorylated CD22, and a reduction in the recruitment of SHP-1 by CD22 in CLL B cells. Decreased inhibitory signaling in CLL correlates with an increase in active Syk. An increase in c-Cbl protein levels was observed and an increased recruitment of p85PI3K was observed specifically in Zap-70 positive CLL. Conclusions Defective inhibitory signaling may contribute to disease progression in CLL. This defect probably results from the inability of CD22 to access 9-O-deacetylated ligands even in the presence of active Lyn. Enhanced constitutive BCR signaling prevails in all CLL patients but in Zap70+ CLL patients p85PI3K is more readily recruited by c-Cbl. Disclosures Hochberg: Biogen-Idec: Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Speakers Bureau; Enzon: Speakers Bureau.