The hematopoietic compartment is sufficient for lupus development resulting from the POLB-Y265C mutation

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic disease characterized by autoantibodies, renal and cutaneous disease, and immune complex formation. Emerging evidence suggests that aberrant DNA repair is an underlying mechanism of lupus development. We previously showed that the POLB(Y265C/C) mutation, which results in development of an aberrant immune repertoire, leads to lupus-like disease in mice. To address whether the hematopoietic compartment is sufficient for lupus development, we transplanted bone marrow cells from POLB(Y265C/C) and POLB(+/+) into wild-type congenic mice. Only mice transplanted with the POLB(Y265C/C) bone marrow develop high levels of antinuclear antibodies and renal disease. In conclusion, we show that the hematopoietic compartment harvested from the POLB(Y265C/C) mice is sufficient for development of autoimmune disease.