BTG1 mutation yields supercompetitive B cells primed for malignant transformation
Multicellular life requires altruistic cooperation between cells. The adaptive immune system is a notable exception, wherein germinal center B cells compete vigorously for limiting positive selection signals. Studying primary human lymphomas and developing new mouse models, we found that mutations affecting BTG1 disrupt a critical immune gatekeeper mechanism that strictly limits B cell fitness during antibody affinity maturation. This mechanism converted germinal center B cells into supercompetitors that rapidly outstrip their normal counterparts. This effect was conferred by a small shift in MYC protein induction kinetics but resulted in aggressive invasive lymphomas, which in humans are linked to dire clinical outcomes. Our findings reveal a delicate evolutionary trade-off between natural selection of B cells to provide immunity and potentially dangerous features that recall the more competitive nature of unicellular organisms.
Journal: Science PMID: 36656933 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj7412
Mutant EZH2 Induces a Pre-malignant Lymphoma Niche by Reprogramming the Immune Response
Follicular lymphomas (FLs) are slow-growing, indolent tumors containing extensive follicular dendritic cell (FDC) networks and recurrent EZH2 gain-of-function mutations. Paradoxically, FLs originate from highly proliferative germinal center (GC) B cells with proliferation strictly dependent on interactions with T follicular helper cells. Herein, we show that EZH2 mutations initiate FL by attenuating GC B cell requirement for T cell help and driving slow expansion of GC centrocytes that become enmeshed with and dependent on FDCs. By impairing T cell help, mutant EZH2 prevents induction of proliferative MYC programs. Thus, EZH2 mutation fosters malignant transformation by epigenetically reprograming B cells to form an aberrant immunological niche that reflects characteristic features of human FLs, explaining how indolent tumors arise from GC B cells.
Journal: Cancer Cell PMID: 32396861 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.04.004