Cell cycle-dependent reconfiguration of the DNA (hydroxy) methylome during terminal differentiation of human B cells into plasma cells [methylation array]

Molecular mechanisms underlying terminal differentiation of B-cells into plasma cells are major determinants of adaptive immunity but remain only partially understood. Here, we present the transcriptional and epigenomic landscapes of cell subsets arising from activation of human naive B-cells and differentiation into plasmablasts. Cell proliferation of activated B cells was linked to a slight decrease in DNA methylation levels but followed by a committal step in which an S-phase-synchronized differentiation switch was associated with an extensive DNA demethylation and local acquisition of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at enhancers and genes related to plasma cell identity. Number of samples analyzed: 26 in vitro-derived human B cells, spanning 7 cell populations. No technical replicates.