Abstract
Although the 3 isoforms of Akt regulate cell growth, proliferation, and survival in a wide variety of cell types, their role in B-cell development is unknown. We assessed B-cell maturation in the bone marrow (BM) and periphery in chimeras established with fetal liver progenitors lacking Akt1 and/or Akt2. We found that the generation of marginal zone (MZ) and B1 B cells, 2 key sources of antibacterial antibodies, was highly dependent on the combined expression of Akt1 and Akt2. In contrast, Akt1/2 deficiency did not negatively affect the generation of transitional or mature follicular B cells in the periphery or their precursors in the BM. However, Akt1/2-deficient follicular B cells exhibited a profound survival defect when forced to compete against wild-type B cells in vivo. Altogether, these studies show that Akt signaling plays a key role in peripheral B-cell maturation and survival.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 4043-4050 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Blood |
Volume | 115 |
Issue number | 20 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 20 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Hematology
- Cell Biology