Retrotransposon derepression leads to activation of the unfolded protein response and apoptosis in pro B cells. Mus musculus

The establishment of distinct transcription programs during development is controlled by transcription factor networks acting in specific chromatin environments. The H3K9me3-specific histone methyltransferase Setdb1 impacts on transcriptional regulation by repressing both developmental genes and retrotransposons. How impaired retrotransposon silencing may lead to developmental phenotypes is currently unclear. Here we show that loss of Setdb1 in pro-B cells completely abrogates B cell development. In pro-B cells, Setdb1 is dispensable for silencing of lineage-inappropriate developmental genes. Instead, we detect strong derepression of endogenous Murine Leukemia Virus (MLV) copies. Production of MLV proteins leads to activation of the unfolded protein response pathway and apoptosis. Thus, our data demonstrate that B cell development critically depends on the proper repression of retrotransposon sequences through Setdb1. Overall design: Transcriptomic and chromatin analysis of control and Setdb1-deficient pro-B cells