A high proportion of human B cells carry B-cell receptors (BCRs) that are autoreactive. Inhibitory receptors such as CD22 can downmodulate autoreactive BCR responses. With its extracellular domain, CD22 binds to sialic acids in α2,6 linkages in cis, on the surface of the same B cell or in trans, on other cells. Sialic acids are self ligands, as they are abundant in vertebrates, but are usually not expressed by pathogens. We show that cis-ligand binding of CD22 is crucial for the regulation of B-cell Ca 2+ signaling by controlling the CD22 association to the BCR. Mice with a mutated CD22 ligand-binding domain of CD22 showed strongly reduced Ca 2+ signaling. In contrast, mice with mutated CD22 immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motifs have increased B-cell Ca 2+ responses, increased B-cell turnover, and impaired survival of the B cells. Thus, the CD22 ligand-binding domain has a crucial function in regulating BCR signaling, which is relevant for controlling autoimmunity.

The prognosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) depends on different markers, including cytogenetic aberrations, oncogenic mutations, and mutational status of the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy-chain variable (IGHV) gene. The number of IGHV mutations distinguishes mutated (M) CLL with a markedly superior prognosis from unmutated (UM) CLL cases. In addition, B cell antigen receptor (BCR) stereotypes as defined by IGHV usage and complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) classify ∼30% of CLL cases into prognostically important subsets. Subset 2 expresses a BCR with the combination of IGHV3-21–derived heavy chains (HCs) with IGLV3-21–derived light chains (LCs), and is associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Importantly, the subset 2 LC carries a single-point mutation, termed R110, at the junction between the variable and constant LC regions. By analyzing 4 independent clinical cohorts through BCR sequencing and by immunophenotyping with antibodies specifically recognizing wild-type IGLV3-21 and R110-mutated IGLV3-21 (IGLV3-21R110), we show that IGLV3-21R110–expressing CLL represents a distinct subset with poor prognosis independent of IGHV mutations. Compared with other alleles, only IGLV3-21*01 facilitates effective homotypic BCR–BCR interaction that results in autonomous, oncogenic BCR signaling after acquiring R110 as a single-point mutation. Presumably, this mutation acts as a standalone driver that transforms IGLV3-21*01–expressing B cells to develop CLL. Thus, we propose to expand the conventional definition of CLL subset 2 to subset 2L by including all IGLV3-21R110–expressing CLL cases regardless of IGHV mutational status. Moreover, the generation of monoclonal antibodies recognizing IGLV3-21 or mutated IGLV3-21R110 facilitates the recognition of B cells carrying this mutation in CLL patients or healthy donors.

Expression of the B‐cell antigen receptor (BCR) is essential not only for the development but also for the maintenance of mature B cells. Similarly, many B‐cell lymphomas, including Burkitt lymphoma (BL), require continuous BCR signaling for their tumor growth. This growth is driven by immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based activation motif (ITAM) and PI3 kinase (PI3K) signaling. Here, we employ CRISPR/Cas9 to delete BCR and B‐cell co‐receptor genes in the human BL cell line Ramos. We find that Ramos B cells require the expression of the BCR signaling component Igβ (CD79b), and the co‐receptor CD19, for their fitness and competitive growth in culture. Furthermore, we show that in the absence of any other BCR component, Igβ can be expressed on the B‐cell surface, where it is found in close proximity to CD19 and signals in an ITAM‐dependent manner. These data suggest that Igβ and CD19 are part of an alternative B‐cell signaling module that use continuous ITAM/PI3K signaling to promote the survival of B lymphoma and normal B cells.

Mature B cells coexpress both IgM and IgD B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) classes, which are organized on the cell surface in distinct protein islands. The specific role of the IgD-BCR is still enigmatic, but it is colocalized with several other receptors on the B-cell surface, including the coreceptor CD19. Here, we report that the chemokine receptor CXCR4 is also found in proximity to the IgD-BCR. Furthermore, B cells from IgD-deficient mice show defects in CXCL12-mediated CXCR4 signaling and B-cell migration, whereas B cells from IgM-deficient mice are normal in this respect. CXCR4 activation results in actin cytoskeleton remodeling and PI3K/Akt and Erk signaling in an IgD-BCR-dependent manner. The defects in CXCR4 signaling in IgD-deficient B cells can be overcome by anti-CD19 antibody stimulation that also increases CXCL12-mediated B-cell migration of normal B cells. These results show that the IgD-BCR, CD19, and CXCR4 are not only colocalized at nanometer distances but are also functionally connected, thus providing a unique paradigm of receptor signaling cross talk and function. . However, recent superresolution studies of the B-cell surface showed a distinct distribution of these BCRs inside class-specific protein islands (5). BCR activation encompasses a sequence of molecular events including the activation of the spleen tyrosine kinase Syk, the phosphorylation of tyrosine (Y) in the tail of the Igα/Igβ heterodimer, and the coreceptor CD19, and the activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and Erk pathways as well as the mobilization of intracellular calcium (6). Apart from playing a major role in the antigen-dependent B-cell activation and clonal selection, the BCR can also integrate signals from other receptors on the B-cell surface, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) (7) and receptors of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family (8, 9). These receptor cross talks have gained attention in recent years and seem to involve the actin cytoskeleton (10). Indeed, the disruption of the actin cytoskeleton alone is sufficient to activate BCR signaling (11, 12) in a CD19-dependent manner (13). This finding suggests that signals initiated through receptors, which induce actin rearrangements, could directly trigger or influence BCR signaling, even in an antigen-independent manner. Accordingly, it was suggested that cytoskeleton dynamics might be at the basis of the tonic BCR survival signal (10,13,14). An important class of receptor inducing alterations of the actin cytoskeleton are chemokine receptors (CKRs) (15). Mature B cells express several members of the CKR family, namely CCR6, CCR7, CXCR4, and CXCR5 (16). Regulation of CXCR4 is of particular interest due its role in lymphomagenesis, infiltration, and retention of leukemia cells and HIV infection. CXCR4 is expressed throughout B-cell development but fulfills different functions dependent on the developmental stage. For example, CXCR4 is necessary to retain developing B cells in the bone marrow (17) but does not have this effect on mature B cells. ...