Plasma cell alloantigen ENPP1 is expressed by a subset of human B cells with potential regulatory functions. Issue 8 (31st May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yoon, Jeongheon; Wang, Hongsheng; Kim, Yong Chan; Yoshimoto, Momoko; Abbasi, Sadia; Morse, Herbert C
• Is Part Of: Immunology and cell biology. Volume 94:Issue 8(2016)
• Page Start: 719
• Page End: 728
• Publication Date: 2016-05-31
• Subjects: Immunology -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; 616.079
• DOI: 10.1038/icb.2016.31
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0818-9641

Abstract

Abstract : Plasma cell alloantigen 1 (PC1), also known as ENPP1 (ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1), is an enzyme involved primarily in hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate at the cell surface. Although the expression pattern of PC1 is relatively broad, its expression in B cells is found at significant levels only in terminally differentiated germinal center B cells, plasma cells and a subset of B‐1a cells in mice. Here we describe studies designed to determine whether expression of PC1 might define novel populations of human B cells with similarities to mouse B cells. We found that PC1 is expressed in small populations of human B lineage cells in peripheral blood, cord blood, tonsils, bone marrow and pediatric peritoneal fluid, with the highest levels in plasma cells. The characteristics of human PC1 + B cells differ from mouse peritoneal B‐1a subsets and from features of the human CD20 + CD27 + CD43 + CD70 − B‐cell subset proposed to be human B‐1 cells. Expression of PC1 was greatly increased in B cells stimulated with the combination of CD40 ligand, interleukin (IL)‐4 and IL‐21. In addition, PC1 + B cells activated CD4 + T regulatory cells. ENPP1 thus defines a subset of human B cells that differs significantly from mouse peritoneal B‐1a and proposed human B‐1 cells.