Folliculin (FLCN) is a tumor-suppressor protein mutated in the BirtHogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome, which associates with two paralogous proteins, folliculin-interacting protein (FNIP)1 and FNIP2, forming a complex that interacts with the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Although it is clear that this complex influences AMPK and other metabolic regulators, reports of its effects have been inconsistent. To address this issue, we created a recessive lossof-function variant of Fnip1. Homozygous FNIP1 deficiency resulted in profound B-cell deficiency, partially restored by overexpression of the antiapoptotic protein BCL2, whereas heterozygous deficiency caused a loss of marginal zone B cells. FNIP1-deficient mice developed cardiomyopathy characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and glycogen accumulation, with close parallels to mice and humans bearing gain-of-function mutations in the γ2 subunit of AMPK. Concordantly, γ2-specific AMPK activity was elevated in neonatal FNIP1-deficient myocardium, whereas AMPK-dependent unc-51-like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1) phosphorylation and autophagy were increased in FNIP1-deficient B-cell progenitors. These data support a role for FNIP1 as a negative regulator of AMPK.irt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome is a hereditary condition caused by germ-line or somatic mutations of the folliculin (FLCN) tumor-suppressor gene (1) and characterized by cutaneous hamartomas, pulmonary cysts, and an increased risk of renal cancer (2).FLCN forms a complex with paralogous folliculin interacting proteins, folliculin-interacting protein (FNIP)1 and FNIP2, both of which bind the C terminus of FLCN with the potential to form homo-or heterotrimeric multimers (3-5). FLCN is a nonredundant component of the FLCN/FNIP1/FNIP2 complex, whereas FNIP1 and FNIP2 appear to be functionally redundant in several tissues. This distinction is illustrated by the fact that kidney-specific deletion of mouse Flcn or compound deletion of Fnip1 and Fnip2 is sufficient to cause renal tumors, and yet deletions of Fnip1 or Fnip2 alone are not (6). This redundancy is consistent with the equivalent expression of Fnip1 and Fnip2 mRNA in kidney tissue (6). In contrast, FNIP1 is nonredundant in other tissues, including bone marrow, myocardium, and skeletal muscle: all of which express relatively more Fnip1 than Fnip2 (6-9).FNIP1 and FNIP2 also bind to the α, β, and γ subunits of the heterotrimeric AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) complex (3, 4). A critical regulator of cellular metabolism, AMPK senses and is activated by increased concentrations of AMP and ADP in the energy-depleted cell and subsequently phosphorylates an array of regulatory targets to restore cellular energy status (10). The multifaceted roles of AMPK include growth suppression by inhibiting synthesis of cellular macromolecules, in particular, through phosphorylation of the TSC2 tumor suppressor and inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC)1 signaling pathway (11). AMPK also promotes autophagy via multiple pathways including mTORC1...

Expression of mouse C‐type lectin‐like receptor 2 (CLEC‐2) has been reported on circulating CD11bhigh Gr‐1high myeloid cells and dendritic cells (DCs) under basal conditions, as well as on a variety of leucocyte subsets following inflammatory stimuli or in vitro cell culture. However, previous studies assessing CLEC‐2 expression failed to use CLEC‐2‐deficient mice as negative controls and instead relied heavily on single antibody clones. Here, we generated CLEC‐2‐deficient adult mice using two independent approaches and employed two anti‐mouse CLEC‐2 antibody clones to investigate surface expression on hematopoietic cells from peripheral blood and secondary lymphoid organs. We rule out constitutive CLEC‐2 expression on resting DCs and show that CLEC‐2 is upregulated in response to LPS‐induced systemic inflammation in a small subset of activated DCs isolated from the mesenteric lymph nodes but not the spleen. Moreover, we demonstrate for the first time that peripheral blood B lymphocytes present exogenously derived CLEC‐2 and suggest that both circulating B lymphocytes and CD11bhigh Gr‐1high myeloid cells lose CLEC‐2 following entry into secondary lymphoid organs. These results have significant implications for our understanding of CLEC‐2 physiological functions