A variant in human AIOLOS impairs adaptive immunity by interfering with IKAROS

Nat Immunol. 2021 Jul;22(7):893-903. doi: 10.1038/s41590-021-00951-z. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

Abstract

In the present study, we report a human-inherited, impaired, adaptive immunity disorder, which predominantly manifested as a B cell differentiation defect, caused by a heterozygous IKZF3 missense variant, resulting in a glycine-to-arginine replacement within the DNA-binding domain of the encoded AIOLOS protein. Using mice that bear the corresponding variant and recapitulate the B and T cell phenotypes, we show that the mutant AIOLOS homodimers and AIOLOS-IKAROS heterodimers did not bind the canonical AIOLOS-IKAROS DNA sequence. In addition, homodimers and heterodimers containing one mutant AIOLOS bound to genomic regions lacking both canonical motifs. However, the removal of the dimerization capacity from mutant AIOLOS restored B cell development. Hence, the adaptive immunity defect is caused by the AIOLOS variant hijacking IKAROS function. Heterodimeric interference is a new mechanism of autosomal dominance that causes inborn errors of immunity by impairing protein function via the mutation of its heterodimeric partner.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptive Immunity*
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • COS Cells
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor / genetics
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mutation, Missense
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases / genetics
  • Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases / immunology
  • Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Signal Transduction
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*

Substances

  • IKZF1 protein, human
  • IKZF3 protein, human
  • Ikzf3 protein, mouse
  • Zfpn1a1 protein, mouse
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor