A c-Myc/miR17-92/Pten Axis Controls PI3K-Mediated Positive and Negative Selection in B Cell Development and Reconstitutes CD19 Deficiency

PI3K activity determines positive and negative selection of B cells, a key process for immune tolerance and B cell maturation. Activation of PI3K is balanced by phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten), the PI3K’s main antagonistic phosphatase. Yet, the extent of feedback regulation between PI3K activity and Pten expression during B cell development is unclear. Here, we show that PI3K control of this process is achieved post-transcriptionally by an axis composed of a transcription factor (c-Myc), a microRNA (miR17-92), and Pten. Enhancing activation of this axis through overexpression of miR17-92 reconstitutes the impaired PI3K activity for positive selection in CD19-deficient B cells and restores most of the B cell developmental impairments that are evident in CD19-deficient mice. Using a genetic approach of deletion and complementation, we show that the c-Myc/miR17-92/Pten axis critically controls PI3K activity and the sensitivity of immature B cells to negative selection imposed by activation-induced cell death. [Display omitted] •PI3K controls itself through post-transcriptional regulation of Pten•This regulation is facilitated via c-Myc/miR17-92/Pten autostimulatory axis•c-Myc/miR17-92/Pten regulates PI3K-mediated B cell positive and negative selection•Overexpression of miR17-92 reconstitutes B cell development in CD19-deficient mice Benhamou et al. show that phosphoinositide 3-kinase directly activates an autostimulatory c-Myc/miR17-92/Pten axis to control itself for B cell-fate decisions during positive and negative selection.