Fcγ receptor IIb (FcγRIIb) is an essential negative regulator of B cells that blocks B cell receptor (BCR) signaling and triggers c-Abl-dependent apoptosis of B cells. FcγRIIb-deficient mice display splenomegaly with expansion of B cells, leading to lupus. FcγRIIb-I232T is a hypofunctional polymorphism associated with lupus susceptibility in humans, an autoimmune disease linked to diminished deletion of autoreactive B cells. In the context of the FcγRIIb-I232T polymorphism, we investigated the role of FcγRIIb in the deletion of low-affinity germinal center (GC) B cells, an important mechanism for preventing autoimmunity.
We generated FcγRIIb
Compared to wild-type (WT) mice, FcγRIIb
Our findings provide evidence of a critical role of FcγRIIb/c-Abl in the negative selection of GC B cells in FcγRIIb