A defect of the INK4-Cdk4 checkpoint and Myc collaborate in blastoid mantle cell lymphoma-like lymphoma formation in mice.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B-cell malignancy characterized by a monoclonal proliferation of lymphocytes with the co-expression of CD5 and CD43, but not of CD23. Typical MCL is associated with overexpression of cyclin D1, and blastoid MCL variants are associated with Myc (alias c-myc) translocations. In this study, we developed a murine model of MCL-like lymphoma by crossing Cdk4(R24C) mice with Myc-3'RR transgenic mice.

Genomic deletion of the whole IgH 3' regulatory region (hs3a, hs1,2, hs3b, and hs4) dramatically affects class switch recombination and Ig secretion to all isotypes.

The immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IgH) undergoes multiple changes along B-cell differentiation. In progenitor B cells, V(D)J assembly allows expression of μ heavy chains. In mature B cells, class switch recombination may replace the expressed constant (C)μ gene with a downstream C(H) gene.

A myeloma translocation-like model associating CCND1 with the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus 3' enhancers does not promote by itself B-cell malignancies.

Cyclin D1 overexpression is associated with mantle cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma. In myeloma, it often results from chromosomal translocations linking the CCND1 gene to the 3' part of the IgH locus constant region. This region includes a single and potent transcriptional regulatory region (RR) 3' of the Calpha gene mostly active in mature B-cells.

Ig synthesis and class switching do not require the presence of the hs4 enhancer in the 3' IgH regulatory region.

Several studies have reported that regulatory elements located 3' of the IgH locus (namely hs3a, hs1,2, hs3b, and hs4) might play a role during class switch recombination (CSR) and Ig synthesis. While individual deletion of hs3a or hs1,2 had no effect, pairwise deletion of hs3b (an inverted copy of hs3a) and hs4 markedly affected CSR and Ig expression. Among these two elements, hs4 was tentatively presented with the master role due to its unique status within the 3' regulatory region: distal position outside repeated regions, early activation in pre-B cells, strong activity throughout B cell ontogeny.