Interplay between UNG and AID governs intratumoral heterogeneity in mature B cell lymphoma

Pilar Delgado, Ángel F. Álvarez-Prado, Ester Marina-Zárate, Isora V. Sernandez, Sonia M. Mur, Jorge de la Barrera, Fátima Sanchez-Cabo, Marta Cañamero, Antonio de Molina, Laura Belver, Virginia G. de Yébenes, Almudena R. Ramiro*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Most B cell lymphomas originate from B cells that have germinal center (GC) experience and bear chromosome translocations and numerous point mutations. GC B cells remodel their immunoglobulin (Ig) genes by somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR) in their immunoglobulin (Ig) genes. Activation Induced Deaminase (AID) initiates CSR and SHM by generating U:G mismatches on Ig DNA that can then be processed by Uracyl-N-glycosylase (UNG). AID promotes collateral damage in the form of chromosome translocations and off-target SHM, however, the exact contribution of AID activity to lymphoma generation and progression is not completely understood. Here we show using a conditional knock-in strategy that AID supra-activity alone is not sufficient to generate B cell transformation. In contrast, in the absence of UNG, AID supra-expression increases SHM and promotes lymphoma. Whole exome sequencing revealed that AID heavily contributes to lymphoma SHM, promoting subclonal variability and a wider range of oncogenic variants. Thus, our data provide direct evidence that UNG is a brake to AID-induced intratumoral heterogeneity and evolution of B cell lymphoma.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere1008960
JournalPLoS Genetics
Volume16
Issue number12 December
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Dec 2020
Externally publishedYes

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