LAB: a new membrane-associated adaptor molecule in B cell activation

The adaptor molecule, linker for activation of T cells (LAT), is essential in T cell activation and development; a similar molecule in B cells has not yet been identified. Here, we report the identification of a new adaptor protein, linker for activation of B cells (LAB). Like LAT, LAB was localized to lipid rafts. Upon activation via the B cell receptor (BCR), LAB was phosphorylated and interacted with the adaptor protein Grb2. Decreased LAB expression led to a reduction in BCR-mediated calcium flux and ERK activation. LAB rescued thymocyte development but not normal T cell activation in LAT(-/-) mice. Our data suggest that LAB links BCR engagement to downstream signaling pathways.