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. 2008 Dec 12;135(6):1028-38.
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2008.09.062.

AID is required for the chromosomal breaks in c-myc that lead to c-myc/IgH translocations

Davide F Robbiani  1 , Anne Bothmer, Elsa Callen, Bernardo Reina-San-Martin, Yair Dorsett, Simone Difilippantonio, Daniel J Bolland, Hua Tang Chen, Anne E Corcoran, André Nussenzweig, Michel C Nussenzweig
Affiliations

AID is required for the chromosomal breaks in c-myc that lead to c-myc/IgH translocations

Davide F Robbiani et al. Cell. .

Abstract

Chromosomal translocation requires formation of paired double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) on heterologous chromosomes. One of the most well characterized oncogenic translocations juxtaposes c-myc and the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus (IgH) and is found in Burkitt's lymphomas in humans and plasmacytomas in mice. DNA breaks in IgH leading to c-myc/IgH translocations are created by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) during antibody class switch recombination or somatic hypermutation. However, the source of DNA breaks at c-myc is not known. Here, we provide evidence for the c-myc promoter region being required in targeting AID-mediated DNA damage to produce DSBs in c-myc that lead to c-myc/IgH translocations in primary B lymphocytes. Thus, in addition to producing somatic mutations and DNA breaks in antibody genes, AID is also responsible for the DNA lesions in oncogenes that are required for their translocation.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The MycΔ allele is protected from translocating to the IgH
(A) Schematic representation of wild type (Myc+) and mutant (MycΔ)c-myc alleles. The dashed bracket indicates the region deleted and replaced by a loxP site (triangle) in the MycΔ allele. (B) Genotyping summary from the indicated MycΔ/+ cross. (C) RNA-FISH showing monoallelic vs. biallelic c-myc transcription in wild type (WT) vs. MycΔ/+ cells, respectively. (D) Diagram showing the location of the primers used in the PCR assay to detect derivative chromosome 12 (der12, black arrows) and derivative chromosome 15 (der15, green arrows) c-myc/IgH translocations. The table summarizes the number of allele-specific der12 and der15 c-myc/IgH translocations in activated MycΔ/+ B cells, as determined by sequencing. Three independent experiments.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Cre-mediated c-myc/IgH translocations
(A) Schematic representation of the MycΔ, MycI and IgHI alleles with the PCR primers for detecting der12 c-myc/IgH translocations. Triangles represent loxP sites, circles point to recognition sequences for I-SceI. (B) Translocations by retroviral Cre. Ethidium bromide stained agarose gel with 0.5kb PCR products corresponding to precise loxP-to-loxP c-myc/IgH translocations (as verified by sequencing). B lymphocytes of the indicated genotypes were stimulated with LPS and IL-4 and infected with retroviruses that direct expression of Cre. The number of cells that were assayed in each reaction is indicated. Two independent experiments. (C) Translocations in AIDCre B cells. Agarose gel with 0.5kb PCR products corresponding to precise loxP-to-loxP c-myc/IgH translocations (as verified by sequencing). AIDCre B cells of the indicated genotypes were stimulated with LPS and IL-4. The number of cells assayed in each reaction is indicated. Two independent experiments.
Figure 3
Figure 3. I-SceI induced breaks
(A) Immuno-FISH analysis of 53BP1 DNA damage foci at IgH or c-myc loci in activated B cells. Representative images and table showing co-localization frequencies as percentage of cells analyzed in LPS and IL-4 stimulated wild type (WT) or AID−/− B lymphocytes. The number of cells analyzed is shown in parentheses. Three independent experiments. (B) Immuno-FISH analysis of AID induced 53BP1 DNA damage foci in AID−/− B cells infected with AID or empty virus control. Representative images and table showing co-localization frequencies at c-myc (p = 0.007 with Student’s T-Test). (C) Immuno-FISH analysis of I-SceI induced 53BP1 DNA damage foci in IgHI/+AID−/− (top) or MycI/+AID−/− B cells (bottom). Representative images and table showing co-localization frequencies at IgH or c-myc (as indicated) in I-SceI or I-SceI* expressing B lymphocytes.
Figure 4
Figure 4. I-SceI induced translocations in AID deficient B lymphocytes
(A) Schematic representation of the MycI, Myc+ and IgHI alleles with the PCR primers for detecting der12 and der15 c-myc/IgH translocations. Circles point to the position of the I-SceI sites. (B) I-SceI rescues translocations in the absence of AID. Representative agarose gels with PCR products corresponding to c-myc/IgH translocations (as verified by sequencing and/or Southern Blot, see Supplemental Figure S7). MycI/+IgHI/+AID−/− B cells were stimulated with LPS and IL-4 and infected with I-SceI or I-SceI* control retroviruses. 100,000 cells were assayed each in lane. Three independent experiments. (C) Map of translocation breakpoints from I-SceI expressing MycI/+IgHI/+AID−/− B cells (see also Supplemental Table 2). Arrows point to c-myc/IgH translocation breakpoints for der12 (black) or der15 (green).
Figure 5
Figure 5. I-SceI induced translocations in AID sufficient B lymphocytes
(A) Schematic representation of the MycI, Myc+ and IgH+ alleles with the PCR primers for detecting der12 and der15 c-myc/IgH translocations. Circle points to recognition sequence for I-SceI. (B) I-SceI directed translocations in the presence of AID. Representative agarose gels with PCR products corresponding to c-myc/IgH translocations (as verified by sequencing and/or Southern Blot, see Supplemental Figure S8). MycI/+ B cells were stimulated with LPS and IL-4 and infected with I-SceI (three independent experiments) or I-SceI* control. 100,000 cells were assayed in each lane. (C) Map of translocation breakpoints from stimulated MycI/+ B cells infected with I-SceI (see also Supplemental Table 3). Filled arrows point to c-myc/IgH translocation breakpoints from der12 (black) or der15 (green). Empty arrows indicate the distribution of breakpoints obtained in the absence of I-SceI. (D) Table shows summary of the extent of junctional microhomology from c-myc/IgH translocations (see Supplemental Tables 2, 3, and 4).
Figure 6
Figure 6. Translocations induced by AID, I-SceI or Cre in AID−/− cells
(A) Schematic representation of the MycI, Myc+ and IgHI alleles with the PCR primers for detecting der15 c-myc/IgH translocations. Triangles represent loxP sites, circles point to recognition sequences for I-SceI. (B) Representative agarose gels with PCR products corresponding to c-myc/IgH translocations (as verified by sequencing and/or Southern Blot, see Supplemental Figure S10). MycI/+ IgHI/+ AID−/− B cells were stimulated with LPS and IL-4 and infected with AID, I-SceI, or Cre, as indicated. DNA equivalents for the indicated number of cells were assayed in each reaction. Two independent experiments.
Figure 7
Figure 7. AID is essential for the lesion in c-myc that leads to c-myc/IgH translocation
(A) Top: schematic representation of the MycI, Myc+ and IgH+ alleles with the PCR primers for detecting der12 and der15 c-myc/IgH translocations. Circle indicates I-SceI site. Bottom: a representative ethidium bromide (EtBr) stained agarose gel was also Southern blotted and probed for c-myc and IgH, as indicated, to verify translocations. MycI/+AID−/− B cells were stimulated with LPS and IL-4 and infected with an I-SceI encoding retrovirus. 100,000 cells were assayed in each lane. No translocations were identified out of 3.4×107 cells analyzed. Three independent experiments. (B) Top: schematic representation of the Myc+ and IgHI alleles with the PCR primers for detecting der12 and der15 c-myc/IgH translocations. Circle indicates I-SceI site. Bottom: a representative ethidium bromide (EtBr) stained agarose gel was also Southern blotted and probed for c-myc and IgH, as indicated to verify translocations. IgHI/+ AID−/− B cells were stimulated with LPS and IL-4 and infected with I-SceI. 100,000 cells were assayed in each lane. No translocations were identified in 6.9×107 cells. Seven independent experiments.
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