The Inositol Polyphosphate 5-Phosphatase Ship Is a Crucial Negative Regulator of B Cell Antigen Receptor Signaling

Ship is an Src homology 2 domain containing inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase which has been implicated as an important signaling molecule in hematopoietic cells. In B cells, Ship becomes associated with Fcγ receptor IIB (FcγRIIB), a low affinity receptor for the Fc portion of immunoglobulin (Ig)G, and is rapidly tyrosine phosphorylated upon B cell antigen receptor (BCR)–FcγRIIB coligation. The function of Ship in lymphocytes was investigated in Ship(−/−) recombination-activating gene (Rag)(−/−) chimeric mice generated from gene-targeted Ship(−/−) embryonic stem cells. Ship(−/−)Rag(−/−) chimeras showed reduced numbers of B cells and an overall increase in basal serum Ig. Ship(−/−) splenic B cells displayed prolonged Ca(2+) influx, increased proliferation in vitro, and enhanced mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in response to BCR–FcγRIIB coligation. These results demonstrate that Ship plays an essential role in FcγRIIB-mediated inhibition of BCR signaling, and that Ship is a crucial negative regulator of Ca(2+) flux and MAPK activation.