Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1/2 and NF-kappa B signaling pathways are required for B cell antigen receptor-mediated cyclin D2 induction in mature B cells.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) has been linked to promitogenic responses in splenic B cells following B cell Ag receptor (BCR) cross-linking; however identification of the signaling intermediates that link PI-3K activity to the cell cycle remains incomplete. We show that cyclin D2 induction is blocked by the PI-3K inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002, which coincides with impaired BCR-mediated mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-related kinase kinase (MEK)1/2 and p42/44ERK phosphorylation on activation residues. Cyclin D2 induction is virtually absent in B lymphocytes from mice deficient in the class I(A) PI-3K p85alpha regulatory subunit. In contrast to studies with PI-3K inhibitors, which inhibit all classes of PI-3Ks, the p85alpha regulatory subunit is not required for BCR-induced MEK1/2 and p42/44ERK phosphorylation, suggesting the contribution of another PI-3K family members in MEK1/2 and p42/44ERK activation. However, p85alpha(-/-) splenic B cells are defective in BCR-induced IkappaB kinase beta and IkappaBalpha phosphorylation. We demonstrate that NF-kappaB signaling is required for cyclin D2 induction via the BCR in normal B cells, implicating a possible link with the defective IkappaB kinase beta and IkappaBalpha phosphorylation in p85alpha(-/-) splenic B cells and their ability to induce cyclin D2. These results indicate that MEK1/2-p42/44ERK and NF-kappaB pathways link PI-3K activity to Ag receptor-mediated cyclin D2 induction in splenic B cells.