Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2B1 exerts a regulatory role in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated 38B9 B cell activation

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules, which are recognized for their primary function of presenting an antigen to the T cell receptor, are involved in various signaling pathways in B cell activation. We identified heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A2B1 as an MHC class II molecule-associated protein involved in MHC class II-mediated signal transduction in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated 38B9 B cells. Although the function of hnRNP A2B1 in the nucleus is primarily known, the level of hnRNP A2B1 in the cytoplasm was increased in LPS-stimulated 38B9 cells, while it was not detected in the cytoplasm of non-treated 38B9 cells. The silencing of hnRNP A2B1 expression using siRNA disturbed B cell maturation by regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, NF-κB activation, and protein kinase B activation. These results suggest that hnRNP A2B1 is associated with MHC class II molecules and is involved in B cell activation signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated 38B9 cells.