Enhancement of B-cell receptor signaling by a point mutation of adaptor protein 3BP2 identified in human inherited disease cherubism

Tyrosine phosphorylation of adaptor protein c-Abl-Src homology 3 (SH3) domain-binding protein-2 (3BP2, also referred to SH3BP2) positively regulates the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR)-mediated signal transduction, leading to the activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). Here we showed the effect of the proline to arginine substitution of 3BP2 in which is the most common mutation in patients with cherubism (P418R) on B-cell receptor signaling. Comparing to the wild type, overexpression of the mutant form of 3BP2 (3BP2-P416R, corresponding to P418R in human protein) enhanced BCR-mediated activation of NFAT. 3BP2-P416R increased the signaling complex formation with Syk, Phospholipase C-γ2 (PLC-γ2), and Vav1. In contrast, 3BP2-P416R could not change the association with the negative regulator 14-3-3. Loss of the association mutant that was incapable to associate with 14-3-3 could not mimic BCR-mediated NFAT activation in Syk-deficient cells. Moreover, BCR-mediated phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was not affected by P416R mutation. These results showed that P416R mutation of 3BP2 causes the gain of function in B cells by increasing the interaction with specific signaling molecules.