Rictor positively regulates B cell receptor signaling by modulating actin reorganization via ezrin

PLoS Biol. 2017 Aug 18;15(8):e2001750. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2001750. eCollection 2017 Aug.

Abstract

As the central hub of the metabolism machinery, the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) has been well studied in lymphocytes. As an obligatory component of mTORC2, the role of Rictor in T cells is well established. However, the role of Rictor in B cells still remains elusive. Rictor is involved in B cell development, especially the peripheral development. However, the role of Rictor on B cell receptor (BCR) signaling as well as the underlying cellular and molecular mechanism is still unknown. This study used B cell-specfic Rictor knockout (KO) mice to investigate how Rictor regulates BCR signaling. We found that the key positive and negative BCR signaling molecules, phosphorylated Brutons tyrosine kinase (pBtk) and phosphorylated SH2-containing inositol phosphatase (pSHIP), are reduced and enhanced, respectively, in Rictor KO B cells. This suggests that Rictor positively regulates the early events of BCR signaling. We found that the cellular filamentous actin (F-actin) is drastically increased in Rictor KO B cells after BCR stimulation through dysregulating the dephosphorylation of ezrin. The high actin-ezrin intensity area restricts the lateral movement of BCRs upon stimulation, consequently reducing BCR clustering and BCR signaling. The reduction in the initiation of BCR signaling caused by actin alteration is associated with a decreased humoral immune response in Rictor KO mice. The inhibition of actin polymerization with latrunculin in Rictor KO B cells rescues the defects of BCR signaling and B cell differentiation. Overall, our study provides a new pathway linking cell metablism to BCR activation, in which Rictor regulates BCR signaling via actin reorganization.

MeSH terms

  • Actins / metabolism*
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Immunity, Humoral
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-Trisphosphate 5-Phosphatases / metabolism*
  • Polymerization
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Rapamycin-Insensitive Companion of mTOR Protein
  • Thiazolidines

Substances

  • Actins
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Rapamycin-Insensitive Companion of mTOR Protein
  • Thiazolidines
  • ezrin
  • rictor protein, mouse
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Inpp5d protein, mouse
  • Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-Trisphosphate 5-Phosphatases
  • latrunculin B

Grants and funding

Natural Science Foundation of China http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/ (grant number 31500709). Received by CL. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.