TLR4/7-mediated host-defense responses of gingival epithelial cells.

Gingival epithelial cells (GECs) are physical and immunological barriers against outward pathogens while coping with a plethora of non-pathogenic commensal bacteria. GECs express several members of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and control subsequent innate immune responses. TLR4 senses lipopolysaccharide (LPS) while TLR7/8 recognizes single-strand RNA (ssRNA) playing important roles against viral infection. However, their distinct roles in GECs have not been fully demonstrated. Here, we analyzed biological responses of GECs to  LPS and CL075, a TLR7/8 agonist. GE1, a mouse gingival epithelial cell line, constitutively express TLR4 and TLR7, but not TLR8, like primary skin keratinocytes. Stimulation of GE1 cells with CL075 induced cytokine, chemokine, and antimicrobial peptide  expressions, the pattern of which is rather different from that with LPS: higher mRNA levels of interferon (IFN) ß, CXCL10, and ß-defensin (BD) 14 (mouse homolog of human BD3); lower levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), CCL5, CCL11, CCL20, CXCL2, and CX3CL1. As for the intracellular signal transduction of GE1 cells, CL075 rapidly induced significant AKT phosphorylation but failed to activate IKKα/ß-NFκB pathway, whereas LPS induced marked IKKα/ß-NFκB activation without significant AKT phosphorylation. In contrast, both CL075 and LPS induced rapid IKKα/ß-NFκB activation and AKT phosphorylation in a macrophage cell line. Furthermore, specific inhibition of AKT activity abrogated CL075-induced IFNß, CXCL10, and BD14 mRNA expression in GE1 cells. Thus, TLR4/7 ligands appear to induce rather different host-defense responses of GECs through distinct intracellular signaling mechanisms.

Early induction of Hes1 by bone morphogenetic protein 9 plays a regulatory role in osteoblastic differentiation of a mesenchymal stem cell line.

Bone morphogenic protein 9 (BMP9) is one of the most potent inducers of osteogenic differentiation among the 14 BMP members, but its mechanism of action has not been fully demonstrated. Hes1 is a transcriptional regulator with basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain and is a well-known Notch effector. In this study, we investigated the functional roles of early induction of Hes1 by BMP9 in a mouse mesenchymal stem cell line, ST2. Hes1 mRNA was transiently and periodically induced by BMP9 in ST2, which was inhibited by BMP signal inhibitors but not by Notch inhibitor. Interestingly, Hes1 knockdown in ST2 by siRNA increased the expression of osteogenic differentiation markers such as Sp7 and Ibsp and matrix mineralization in comparison with control siRNA transfected ST2. In contrast, forced expression of Hes1 by using the Tet-On system suppressed the expression of osteogenic markers and matrix mineralization by BMP9. We also found that the early induction of Hes1 by BMP9 suppressed the expression of Alk1, an essential receptor for BMP9. In conclusion, BMP9 rapidly induces the expression of Hes1 via the SMAD pathway in ST2 cells, which plays a negative regulatory role in osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells induced by BMP9.

EGR1 plays an important role in BMP9-mediated osteoblast differentiation by promoting SMAD1/5 phosphorylation.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are essential regulators of skeletal homeostasis, and BMP9 is the most potently osteogenic among them. Here, we found that BMP9 and BMP2 rapidly induced early growth response 1 (EGR1) protein expression in osteoblasts through MEK/ERK pathway-dependent transcriptional activation. Knock-down of EGR1 using siRNA significantly inhibited BMP9-induced matrix mineralization and osteogenic marker gene expression in osteoblasts. Knock-down of EGR1 significantly reduced SMAD1/5 phosphorylation and inhibited the expression of their transcriptional targets in osteoblasts stimulated by BMP9. In contrast, forced EGR1 overexpression in osteoblasts enhanced BMP9-mediated osteoblast differentiation and SMAD1/5 phosphorylation. An intracellular association between EGR1 and SMAD1/5 was identified using immunoprecipitation assays. These results indicated that EGR1 plays an important role in BMP9-stimulated osteoblast differentiation by enhancing SMAD1/5 phosphorylation.

HIF-1α plays an essential role in BMP9-mediated osteoblast differentiation through the induction of a glycolytic enzyme, PDK1.

Bone homeostasis is regulated by bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs), among which BMP9 is one of the most osteogenic. Here, we have found that BMP9 rapidly increases the protein expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in osteoblasts under normoxic conditions more efficiently than BMP2 or BMP4. A combination of BMP9 and hypoxia further increased HIF-1α protein expression. HIF-1α protein induction by BMP9 is not accompanied by messenger RNA (mRNA) increase and is inhibited by the activation of prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD)-containing protein, indicating that BMP9 induces HIF-1α protein expression by inhibiting PHD-mediated protein degradation. BMP9-induced HIF-1α protein increase was abrogated by inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT) kinase, indicating that it is mediated by PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. BMP9 increased mRNA expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), a glycolytic enzyme, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), an angiogenic factor, in osteoblasts. Notably, BMP9-induced mRNA expression of PDK1, but not that of VEGF-A, was significantly inhibited by small interference RNA-mediated knockdown of Hif-1α. BMP9-induced matrix mineralization and osteogenic marker gene expressions were significantly inhibited by chemical inhibition and gene knockdown of either Hif-1α or Pdk-1, respectively. Since increased glycolysis is an essential feature of differentiated osteoblasts, our findings indicate that HIF-1α expression is important in BMP9-mediated osteoblast differentiation through the induction of PDK1.

Periodontitis promotes the expression of gingival transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), a priming protease for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

OBJECTIVES: The oral cavity is one of the main entry sites for SARS-CoV-2. Gingival keratinocytes express transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), responsible for priming the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We investigated whether periodontitis increased the expression of TMPRSS2. METHODS: To investigate gene expression in periodontitis, we analyzed the expression of specific genes from (1) the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset of 247 human gingival tissues and (2) an experimentally-induced periodontitis mouse model. Human gingival tissues with or without periodontitis were immunohistochemically stained using an anti-TMPRSS2 antibody. Analysis of the TMPRSS2 promoter was performed using a ChIP-Atlas dataset. TMPRSS2 expression was detected in cultured human keratinocytes using quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: GEO dataset analysis and an experimentally-induced periodontitis model revealed increased expression of TMPRSS2 in periodontitis gingiva. The keratinocyte cell membrane in periodontitis gingiva was strongly immunohistochemically stained for TMPRSS2. Using ChIP-Atlas and GEO datasets, we screened for transcription factors that bind to the TMPRSS2 promoter region. We found one candidate, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), highly expressed in periodontitis gingiva. Analysis of the GEO dataset revealed a correlation between ESR1 and TMPRSS2 expression in gingival tissues. An ESR1 ligand induced TMPRSS2 expression in cultured keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontitis increases TMPRSS2 expression in the cell membrane of gingival keratinocytes.

Ultraviolet B irradiation decreases CXCL10 expression in keratinocytes through endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Ultraviolet radiation is one of the standard treatment selections for psoriasis. interferon (IFN)-γ and IFN-γ-induced CXCL10, which are highly expressed by keratinocytes in psoriasis lesion, are therapeutic targets for psoriasis. In this study, we found that ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation inhibited IFN-γ signaling events, including STAT1 phosphorylation and induction of CXCL10 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in keratinocytes. IFN-γ-induced expression of CXCL10 mRNA in HaCaT cells, a human keratinocyte cell line, and human epithelial keratinocytes were also inhibited by H2 O2 or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducers. Conversely, a mixture of antioxidants, Trolox and ascorbic acid, and the ER stress inhibitor salubrinal partially counteracted the inhibitory effect of UVB on IFN-γ-induced CXCL10 mRNA expression in HaCaT cells. We also found that UVB and ER stress reduced IFN-γ receptor 1 protein levels in the plasma membrane fraction of keratinocytes. These observations suggested that ER stress and the generation of reactive oxygen species are essential for the inhibitory effect of UVB on IFN-γ-induced CXCL10 mRNA in keratinocytes.

Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) directly induces Notch effector molecule Hes1 through the SMAD signaling pathway in osteoblasts.

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 9 is one of the most osteogenic BMPs, but its mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. Hes1, a transcriptional regulator with a basic helix-loop-helix domain, is a well-known effector of Notch signaling. Here, we find that BMP9 induces periodic increases of Hes1 mRNA and protein expression in osteoblasts, presumably through an autocrine negative feedback mechanism. BMP9-mediated Hes1 induction is significantly inhibited by an ALK inhibitor and overexpression of Smad7, an inhibitory Smad. Luciferase and ChIP assays revealed that two Smad-binding sites in the 5' upstream region of the mouse Hes1 gene are essential for transcriptional activation by BMP9. Thus, our data indicate that BMP9 induces Hes1 expression in osteoblasts via the Smad signaling pathway.

BMP9 directly induces rapid GSK3-ß phosphorylation in a Wnt-independent manner through class I PI3K-Akt axis in osteoblasts.

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)9 has been reported to be the most potent BMP to induce bone formation. However, the details of BMP9-transduced intracellular signaling remain ambiguous. Here, we have investigated signal transduction mechanisms of BMP9 in comparison to BMP2, another potent inducer of bone formation, in osteoblasts. In a mouse osteoblast cell line, BMP9 induced higher mRNA levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) than BMP2 within 2 h. Unlike BMP2, BMP9 induced rapid phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3-ß (GSK3-ß) and protein kinase B (Akt) and increased the cellular protein content of ß-catenin. BMP9 moderately increased mRNA levels of several canonical Wingless-related integration site to lower degrees than BMP2. Furthermore, BMP9-induced GSK3-ß phosphorylation was not inhibited by pretreatment with actinomycin D, cycloheximide, or Brefeldin A, indicating it is independent of Wnt protein secretion. BMP9-induced GSK3-ß phosphorylation was abrogated by Akt or class I PI3K-specific inhibitors. Moreover, inactivation of GSK3-ß by LiCl did not further promote ALP and Runx2 mRNA induction by BMP9 as significantly as that by BMP2. Notably, BMP9-induced GSK3-ß phosphorylation was inhibited by small interfering RNA against endoglin and GIPC PDZ domain-containing family, member 1. Taken together, our present findings have indicated that BMP9 directly activates GSK3ß-ß-catenin signaling pathway through class I PI3K-Akt Axis in osteoblasts, which may be essential for the potent osteoinductive activity of BMP9.-Eiraku, N., Chiba, N., Nakamura, T., Amir, M. S., Seong, C.-H., Ohnishi, T., Kusuyama, J., Noguchi, K., Matsuguchi, T. BMP9 directly induces rapid GSK3-ß phosphorylation in a Wnt-independent manner through class I PI3K-Akt axis in osteoblasts.

Sin3a regulates epithelial progenitor cell fate during lung development.

Mechanisms that regulate tissue-specific progenitors for maintenance and differentiation during development are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the co-repressor protein Sin3a is crucial for lung endoderm development. Loss of Sin3a in mouse early foregut endoderm led to a specific and profound defect in lung development with lung buds failing to undergo branching morphogenesis and progressive atrophy of the proximal lung endoderm with complete epithelial loss at later stages of development. Consequently, neonatal pups died at birth due to respiratory insufficiency. Further analysis revealed that loss of Sin3a resulted in embryonic lung epithelial progenitor cells adopting a senescence-like state with permanent cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. This was mediated at least partially through upregulation of the cell cycle inhibitors Cdkn1a and Cdkn2c. At the same time, loss of endodermal Sin3a also disrupted cell differentiation of the mesoderm, suggesting aberrant epithelial-mesenchymal signaling. Together, these findings reveal that Sin3a is an essential regulator for early lung endoderm specification and differentiation.

CD8+ T Cells Contribute to the Development of Coronary Arteritis in the Lactobacillus casei Cell Wall Extract-Induced Murine Model of Kawasaki Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease among children in developed countries. Coronary lesions in KD in humans are characterized by an increased presence of infiltrating CD3+ T cells; however, the specific contributions of the different T cell subpopulations in coronary arteritis development remain unknown. Therefore, we sought to investigate the function of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, Treg cells, and natural killer (NK) T cells in the pathogenesis of KD. METHODS: We addressed the function of T cell subsets in KD development by using a well-established murine model of Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE)-induced KD vasculitis. We determined which T cell subsets were required for development of KD vasculitis by using several knockout murine strains and depleting monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: LCWE-injected mice developed coronary lesions characterized by the presence of inflammatory cell infiltrates. Frequently, this chronic inflammation resulted in complete occlusion of the coronary arteries due to luminal myofibroblast proliferation (LMP) as well as the development of coronary arteritis and aortitis. We found that CD8+ T cells, but not CD4+ T cells, NK T cells, or Treg cells, were required for development of KD vasculitis. CONCLUSION: The LCWE-induced murine model of KD vasculitis mimics many histologic features of the disease in humans, such as the presence of CD8+ T cells and LMP in coronary artery lesions as well as epicardial coronary arteritis. Moreover, CD8+ T cells functionally contribute to the development of KD vasculitis in this murine model. Therapeutic strategies targeting infiltrating CD8+ T cells might be useful in the management of KD in humans.

Rare SOX2+ Airway Progenitor Cells Generate KRT5+ Cells that Repopulate Damaged Alveolar Parenchyma following Influenza Virus Infection.

Recent studies have implicated keratin 5 (KRT5)+ cells in repopulation of damaged lung tissue following severe H1N1 influenza virus infection. However, the origins of the cells repopulating the injured alveolar region remain controversial. We sought to determine the cellular dynamics of lung repair following influenza infection and define whether nascent KRT5+ cells repopulating alveolar epithelium were derived from pre-existing alveolar or airway progenitor cells. We found that the wound-healing response begins with proliferation of SOX2+ SCGB1A1- KRT5- progenitor cells in airways. These cells generate nascent KRT5+ cells as an early response to airway injury and yield progeny that colonize damaged alveolar parenchyma. Moreover, we show that local alveolar progenitors do not contribute to nascent KRT5+ cells after injury. Repopulation of injured airway and alveolar regions leads to proximalization of distal airways by pseudostratified epithelium and of alveoli by airway-derived epithelial cells that lack the normal characteristics of mature airway or alveolar epithelium.

Mast cells play an important role in chlamydia pneumoniae lung infection by facilitating immune cell recruitment into the airway.

Mast cells are known as central players in allergy and anaphylaxis, and they play a pivotal role in host defense against certain pathogens. Chlamydia pneumoniae is an important human pathogen, but it is unclear what role mast cells play during C. pneumoniae infection. We infected C57BL/6 (wild-type [WT]) and mast cell-deficient mice (Kit(W-sh/W-sh) [Wsh]) with C. pneumoniae. Wsh mice showed improved survival compared with WT mice, with fewer cells in Wsh bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), despite similar levels of cytokines and chemokines. We also found a more rapid clearance of bacteria from the lungs of Wsh mice compared with WT mice. Cromolyn, a mast cell stabilizer, reduced BALF cells and bacterial burden similar to the levels seen in Wsh mice; conversely, Compound 48/80, a mast cell degranulator, increased the number of BALF cells and bacterial burden. Histology showed that WT lungs had diffuse inflammation, whereas Wsh mice had patchy accumulations of neutrophils and perivascular accumulations of lymphocytes. Infected Wsh mice had reduced amounts of matrix metalloprotease-9 in BALF and were resistant to epithelial integral membrane protein degradation, suggesting that barrier integrity remains intact in Wsh mice. Mast cell reconstitution in Wsh mice led to enhanced bacterial growth and normal epithelial integral membrane protein degradation, highlighting the specific role of mast cells in this model. These data suggest that mast cells play a detrimental role during C. pneumoniae infection by facilitating immune cell infiltration into the airspace and providing a more favorable replicative environment for C. pneumoniae.

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in mice induces chronic lung inflammation, iBALT formation, and fibrosis.

Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) lung infection can induce chronic lung inflammation and is associated with not only acute asthma but also COPD exacerbations. However, in mouse models of CP infection, most studies have investigated specifically the acute phase of the infection and not the longer-term chronic changes in the lungs. We infected C57BL/6 mice with 5 × 10(5) CP intratracheally and monitored inflammation, cellular infiltrates and cytokine levels over time to investigate the chronic inflammatory lung changes. While bacteria numbers declined by day 28, macrophage numbers remained high through day 35. Immune cell clusters were detected as early as day 14 and persisted through day 35, and stained positive for B, T, and follicular dendritic cells, indicating these clusters were inducible bronchus associated lymphoid tissues (iBALTs). Classically activated inflammatory M1 macrophages were the predominant subtype early on while alternatively activated M2 macrophages increased later during infection. Adoptive transfer of M1 but not M2 macrophages intratracheally 1 week after infection resulted in greater lung inflammation, severe fibrosis, and increased numbers of iBALTS 35 days after infection. In summary, we show that CP lung infection in mice induces chronic inflammatory changes including iBALT formations as well as fibrosis. These observations suggest that the M1 macrophages, which are part of the normal response to clear acute C. pneumoniae lung infection, result in an enhanced acute response when present in excess numbers, with greater inflammation, tissue injury, and severe fibrosis.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells play a role for effective innate immune responses during Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in mice.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are known for their robust antiviral response and their pro-tolerance effects towards allergic diseases and tissue engraftments. However, little is known about the role pDCs may play during a bacterial infection, including pulmonary Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP). In this study, we investigated the role of pDCs during pulmonary CP infection. Our results revealed that depletion of pDCs during acute CP infection in mice results in delayed and reduced lung inflammation, with an early delay in cellular recruitment and significant reduction in early cytokine production in the lungs. This was followed by impaired and delayed bacterial clearance from the lungs which then resulted in a severe and prolonged chronic inflammation and iBALT like structures containing large numbers of B and T cells in these animals. We also observed that increasing the pDC numbers in the lung by FLT3L treatment experimentally results in greater lung inflammation during acute CP infection. In contrast to these results, restimulation of T-cells in the draining lymph nodes of pDC-depleted mice induced greater amounts of proinflammatory cytokines than we observed in control mice. These results suggest that pDCs in the lung may provide critical proinflammatory innate immune responses in response to CP infection, but are suppressive towards adaptive immune responses in the lymph node. Thus pDCs in the lung and the draining lymph node appear to have different roles and phenotypes during acute CP infection and may play a role in host immune responses.

Interleukin-1ß is crucial for the induction of coronary artery inflammation in a mouse model of Kawasaki disease.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common cause of acute vasculitis and acquired cardiac disease in US children. Untreated, children may develop coronary artery aneurysms, myocardial infarction, and sudden death as a result of the illness. Up to a third of KD patients fail to respond to intravenous immunoglobulin, the standard therapy, and alternative treatments are being investigated. Genetic studies have indicated a possible role for interleukin (IL)-1ß in KD. We therefore explored the role of IL-1ß in a murine model of KD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using an established mouse model of KD that involves injection of Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE), we investigated the role of IL-1ß and caspase-1 (activated by the inflammasome and required for IL-1ß maturation) in coronary arteritis and evaluated the efficacy of IL-1 receptor antagonist as a potential treatment. LCWE-induced IL-1ß maturation and secretion were dependent on the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages. Both caspase-1-deficient and IL-1 receptor-deficient mice were protected from LCWE-induced coronary lesions. Injection of recombinant IL-1ß into caspase-1-deficient mice restored the ability of LCWE to cause coronary lesions in response to LCWE. Furthermore, daily injections of the IL-1 receptor antagonist prevented LCWE-mediated coronary lesions up to 3 days after LCWE injection. CONCLUSIONS: Our results strongly suggest that caspase-1 and IL-1ß play critical roles in the development of coronary lesions in this KD mouse model, blocked by IL-1 receptor antagonist. Therefore, anti-IL-1ß treatment strategies may constitute an effective, more targeted treatment of KD to prevent coronary lesions.

Oxidized mitochondrial DNA activates the NLRP3 inflammasome during apoptosis.

We report that in the presence of signal 1 (NF-κB), the NLRP3 inflammasome was activated by mitochondrial apoptotic signaling that licensed production of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß). NLRP3 secondary signal activators such as ATP induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis, resulting in release of oxidized mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the cytosol, where it bound to and activated the NLRP3 inflammasome. The antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 inversely regulated mitochondrial dysfunction and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Mitochondrial DNA directly induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation, because macrophages lacking mtDNA had severely attenuated IL-1ß production, yet still underwent apoptosis. Both binding of oxidized mtDNA to the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1ß secretion could be competitively inhibited by the oxidized nucleoside 8-OH-dG. Thus, our data reveal that oxidized mtDNA released during programmed cell death causes activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. These results provide a missing link between apoptosis and inflammasome activation, via binding of cytosolic oxidized mtDNA to the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Caspase-1 dependent IL-1ß secretion is critical for host defense in a mouse model of Chlamydia pneumoniae lung infection.

Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) is an important human pathogen that causes atypical pneumonia and is associated with various chronic inflammatory disorders. Caspase-1 is a key component of the 'inflammasome', and is required to cleave pro-IL-1ß to bioactive IL-1ß. Here we demonstrate for the first time a critical requirement for IL-1ß in response to CP infection. Caspase-1⁻/⁻ mice exhibit delayed cytokine production, defective clearance of pulmonary bacteria and higher mortality in response to CP infection. Alveolar macrophages harbored increased bacterial numbers due to reduced iNOS levels in Caspase-1⁻/⁻ mice. Pharmacological blockade of the IL-1 receptor in CP infected wild-type mice phenocopies Caspase-1-deficient mice, and administration of recombinant IL-1ß rescues CP infected Caspase-1⁻/⁻ mice from mortality, indicating that IL-1ß secretion is crucial for host immune defense against CP lung infection. In vitro investigation reveals that CP-induced IL-1ß secretion by macrophages requires TLR2/MyD88 and NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 signaling. Entry into the cell by CP and new protein synthesis by CP are required for inflammasome activation. Neither ROS nor cathepsin was required for CP infection induced inflammasome activation. Interestingly, Caspase-1 activation during CP infection occurs with mitochondrial dysfunction indicating a possible mechanism involving the mitochondria for CP-induced inflammasome activation.

Functional roles of Cot/Tpl2 in mast cell responses to lipopolysaccharide and FcεRI-clustering.

Cot/Tpl2, a member of MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK), is indispensable for the ERK activation, as well as the production of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-23, and PGE(2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. However, the expression and the functional roles of Cot/Tpl2 in mast cells have not been elucidated. The administration of LPS impairs allergic airway inflammation in a mast cell-dependent manner, and LPS stimulates mast cells to produce not only pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-α, but also Th2-type cytokines, such as IL-5, IL-10 and IL-13. Here, we examine the role of Cot/Tpl2 by using bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) from cot/tpl2 gene-deficient mice. Phosphorylation of ERKs was significantly decreased, whereas that of JNKs and p38 kinase was normal in LPS-stimulated cot/tpl2(-/-) BMMCs compared with wild-type counterparts. LPS-induced mRNA increase was significantly impaired for IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and TNF-α, but was normal for IL-6, in cot/tpl2(-/-) BMMCs. On the other hand, degranulation by FcεRI-clustering from cot/tpl2(-/-) BMMCs was significantly enhanced compared with the WT control. Although the phosphorylation of ERKs and p38 kinase by FcεRI-clustering was similar in WT and cot/tpl2(-/-) BMMCs, the phosphorylation of Syk was significantly enhanced in cot/tpl2(-/-) BMMCs, which seemed to be due to the increased protein concentration of Syk. These results imply the functional importance of Cot/Tpl2 in mast cells during the course of allergic diseases such as asthma.

Osteoblast differentiation is functionally associated with decreased AMP kinase activity.

Osteoblasts, originating from mesenchymal stem cells, play a pivotal role in bone formation and mineralization. Several transcription factors including runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) have been reported to be essential for osteoblast differentiation, whereas the cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways controlling the differentiation process have not been fully elucidated. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a serine-threonine kinase generally regarded as a key regulator of cellular energy homeostasis, polarity, and division. Recent lines of evidence have indicated that the activity of the catalytic alpha subunit of AMPK is regulated through its phosphorylation by upstream AMPK kinases (AMPKKs) including LKB1. Here, we explored the role of AMPK in osteoblast differentiation using in vitro culture models. Phosphorylation of AMPKalpha was significantly decreased during osteoblastic differentiation in both primary osteoblasts and MC3T3-E1, a mouse osteoblastic cell line. Conversely, the terminal differentiation of primary osteoblasts and MC3T3-E1 cells, represented by matrix mineralization, was significantly inhibited by glucose restriction and stimulation with metformin, both of which are known activators of AMPK. Matrix mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells was also inhibited by the forced expression of a constitutively active form of AMPKalpha. Metformin significantly inhibited gene expression of Runx2 along with osteoblast differentiation markers including osteocalcin (Ocn), bone sialo protein (Bsp), and osteopontin (Opn). Thus, our present data indicate that differentiation of osteoblasts is functionally associated with decreased AMPK activity.

Reduction of orthodontic tooth movement by experimentally induced periodontal inflammation in mice.

Orthodontic therapy is known to have an aggravating effect on the progression of destructive periodontitis if oral hygiene is not maintained. However, it is largely unknown how active periodontitis affects the velocity of orthodontic tooth movement. In this study, we examined the effect of periodontal inflammation on orthodontic tooth movement using a mouse model. Orthodontic force was applied on the maxillary first molar of mice, with or without ligature wire to induce experimental periodontitis. The distance moved by the first molar was significantly reduced by the ligature-induced experimental periodontitis. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining revealed that the number of osteoclasts present during orthodontic treatment was lower in the pressure zone of alveolar bone in the presence of periodontal inflammation. Consistently, the expression level of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) in the pressure zone was decreased in the ligature group. By contrast, experimental periodontitis increased the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA in the periodontal tissues, while in vitro treatment with prostaglandin E(2) decreased extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation and RANKL expression induced by mechanical stress in osteoblasts. Taken together, these results suggest that the orthodontic force-induced osteoclastogenesis in alveolar bone was inhibited by the accompanying periodontal inflammation, at least partly through prostaglandin E(2), resulting in reduced orthodontic tooth movement.