Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700) is an autoimmune disease characterized by self-reactive antibodies resulting in systemic inflammation and organ failure. TNFAIP3, encoding the ubiquitin-modifying enzyme A20, is an established susceptibility locus for SLE. By fine mapping and genomic resequencing in ethnically diverse populations we fully characterized the TNFAIP3 risk haplotype and isolated a novel TT>A polymorphic dinucleotide associated with SLE in subjects of European (P = 1.58 × 10−8; odds ratio (OR) = 1.70) and Korean (P = 8.33 × 10−10; OR = 2.54) ancestry. This variant, located in a region of high conservation and regulatory potential, bound a nuclear protein complex comprised of NF-κB subunits with reduced avidity. Furthermore, compared with the non-risk haplotype, the haplotype carrying this variant resulted in reduced TNFAIP3 mRNA and A20 protein expression. These results establish this TT>A variant as the most likely functional polymorphism responsible for the association between TNFAIP3 and SLE.

Here we present the Transcription Factor Encyclopedia (TFe), a new web-based compendium of mini review articles on transcription factors (TFs) that is founded on the principles of open access and collaboration. Our consortium of over 100 researchers has collectively contributed over 130 mini review articles on pertinent human, mouse and rat TFs. Notable features of the TFe website include a high-quality PDF generator and web API for programmatic data retrieval. TFe aims to rapidly educate scientists about the TFs they encounter through the delivery of succinct summaries written and vetted by experts in the field. TFe is available at http://www.cisreg.ca/tfe.

Bright/Arid3a has been characterized both as an activator of immunoglobulin heavy-chain transcription and as a proto-oncogene. Although Bright expression is highly B lineage stage restricted in adult mice, its expression in the earliest identifiable hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) population suggests that Bright might have additional functions. We showed that >99% of Bright ؊/؊ embryos die at midgestation from failed hematopoiesis. Bright ؊/؊ embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) fetal livers showed an increase in the expression of immature markers. Colony-forming assays indicated that the hematopoietic potential of Bright ؊/؊ mice is markedly reduced. Rare survivors of lethality, which were not compensated by the closely related paralogue Bright-derived protein (Bdp)/Arid3b, suffered HSC deficits in their bone marrow as well as B lineage-intrinsic developmental and functional deficiencies in their peripheries. These include a reduction in a natural antibody, B-1 responses to phosphocholine, and selective T-dependent impairment of IgG1 class switching. Our results place Bright/Arid3a on a select list of transcriptional regulators required to program both HSC and lineage-specific differentiation.The formation and maintenance of blood throughout fetal and adult life rely on the self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Rare HSCs arise in the embryonic yolk sac and aorta-gonad mesonephros AGM, seed the fetal liver, and then circulate in the bone marrow of adult mammals. Fetal and adult HSC progenitors become progressively dedicated to differentiation into erythrocytes, myeloid cells, and lymphocytes. Transcription factors critical for the specification and formation of HSCs cover a wide range of DNA binding protein families. An emerging theme is that many of these same regulators are required later for the differentiation of individual blood lineages, which explains why a number of HSC transcription factors were discovered and originally characterized because of their deregulation in hematopoietic malignancies.Bright/Arid3a/Dril1 is the founder of the AT-rich interaction domain (ARID) superfamily of DNA binding proteins (18,60). Bright, in a complex with Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) and TFII-I, binds to specific AT-rich motifs within the nuclearmatrix attachment regions (MARs) of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) intronic enhancer (E) and selected IgH promoters to activate IgH transcription (18,25,30,43,44,55,57,58). B cell-specific, transgenic overexpression of Bright leads to partial blocks at both the late-pre-B and T1 immature stages, skewed marginal-zone (MZ) B cell development, increased natural IgM antibody production, and intrinsic autoimmunity (49). Transgenic dominant negative (DN) inhibition of Bright DNA binding results in reduced levels of IgM in serum and functional perturbation of IgM secretion by B-1 cells (39,48). A small pool of Bright cycles from the nucleus into plasma membrane lipid rafts, where it associates with Btk to dampen antigen receptor signaling (48).While highly B lineage restricted in...

Regulation of BCR signalling strength is crucial for B-cell development and function. Bright is a B-cell-restricted factor that complexes with Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) and its substrate, transcription initiation factor-I (TFII-I), to activate immunoglobulin heavy chain gene transcription in the nucleus. Here we show that a palmitoylated pool of Bright is diverted to lipid rafts of resting B cells where it associates with signalosome components. After BCR ligation, Bright transiently interacts with sumoylation enzymes, blocks calcium flux and phosphorylation of Btk and TFII-I and is then discharged from lipid rafts as a Sumo-I-modified form. The resulting lipid raft concentration of Bright contributes to the signalling threshold of B cells, as their sensitivity to BCR stimulation decreases as the levels of Bright increase. Bright regulates signalling independent of its role in IgH transcription, as shown by specific dominant-negative titration of rafts-specific forms. This study identifies a BCR tuning mechanism in lipid rafts that is regulated by differential post-translational modification of a transcription factor with implications for B-cell tolerance and autoimmunity.