Arginine methylation of the B cell antigen receptor promotes differentiation
15.03.2010
Infantino S, Benz B, Waldmann T, Jung M, Schneider R, Reth M.
J Exp Med 207(4):711-9
Signals processed through the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) control both the proliferation and differentiation of B lymphocytes. How these different signaling modes are established at the BCR is
poorly understood. We show that a conserved arginine in the tail sequence of the Ig alpha subunit of the BCR is methylated by the protein arginine methyltransferase. This modification negatively regulates the calcium and PI-3 kinase pathways of the BCR while promoting signals leading to B cell differentiation. Thus, Ig alpha arginine methylation can play an important role in specifying the outcome of BCR signaling.
