IRAK4 kinase activity is required for Th17 differentiation and Th17-mediated disease.

Both IL-23- and IL-1-mediated signaling pathways play important roles in Th17 cell differentiation, cytokine production, and autoimmune diseases. The IL-1R-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is critical for IL-1/TLR signaling. We show here that inactivation of IRAK4 kinase in mice (IRAK4 KI) results in significant resistance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis due to a reduction in infiltrating inflammatory cells into the CNS and reduced Ag-specific CD4(+) T cell-mediated IL-17 production. Adoptive transfer of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55-specific IRAK4 KI Th17 cells failed to induce experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in either wild-type or IRAK4 KI recipient mice, indicating the lack of autoantigen-specific Th17 cell activities in the absence of IRAK4 kinase activity. Furthermore, the absence of IRAK4 kinase activity blocked induction of IL-23R expression, STAT3 activation by IL-23, and Th17 cytokine expression in differentiated Th17 cells. Importantly, blockade of IL-1 signaling by IL-1RA inhibited Th17 differentiation and IL-23-induced cytokine expression in differentiated Th17 cells. The results of these studies demonstrate that IL-1-mediated IRAK4 kinase activity in T cells is essential for induction of IL-23R expression, Th17 differentiation, and autoimmune disease.

Rapid and quantitative detection of p38 kinase pathway in mouse blood monocyte.

The p38 alpha mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is essential in controlling the production of many proinflammatory cytokines, and its specific inhibitor can effectively block their production for treating human diseases. To effectively identify highly specific p38 alpha inhibitors in vivo, we developed an ex vivo mouse blood cell-based assay by flow cytometry to measure the intracellular p38 alpha kinase activation. We first attempted to identify the individual blood cell population in which the p38 alpha kinase pathway is highly expressed and activated. Based on CD11b, combined with Ly-6G cell surface expression, we identified two distinct subsets of non-neutrophilic myeloid cells, CD11b(Med)Ly-6G(-) and CD11b(Lo)Ly-6G(-), and characterized them as monocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, respectively. Then, we demonstrated that only monocytes, not NK cells, expressed a high level of p38 alpha kinase, which was rapidly activated by anisomycin stimulation as evidenced by the phosphorylation of both p38 and its substrate, MAPKAP-K2 (MK2). Finally, the p38 alpha kinase pathway activation in monocytes was fully inhibited by a highly selective p38 alpha kinase inhibitor dose-dependently in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, we demonstrated an effective method for separating blood monocytes from other cells and for detecting the expression level and activation of the p38 alpha kinase pathway in monocytes, which provided a new approach for the rapid identification of specific p38 alpha inhibitors.

Death receptor-6 regulates the development of pulmonary eosinophilia and airway inflammation in a mouse model of asthma.

Death receptor-6 (DR6), a member of the death domain-containing TNFR superfamily, is highly expressed in lymphoid tissues and regulated upon lymphocyte activation. Targeted disruption of DR6 results in enhanced CD4(+) T cell proliferation and T helper 2 (Th2) differentiation in vitro, whereas the in vivo role of DR6 in regulating Th2 cell differentiation and effector function remains largely unknown. In the current study, we used a Th2-skewed allergic airway inflammation model induced by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge to compare the inflammatory response in the lung of both wild type (WT) and DR6(-/-) mice. DR6(-/-) mice were protected from the development of airway inflammation as evidenced by attenuated eosinophil accumulation and reduced mucus-producing cells in the lining airways of allergen-challenged animals. Consistent with these observations, a profound reduction of Th2 cytokine production (IL-5 and IL-13) was detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL). Furthermore, a significant increase in the frequency of IFN-gamma secreting cells was observed in the DR6(-/-) mouse lungs after OVA challenge, which may account for the reduced pulmonary Th2 cytokine production. These data point to a critical role of DR6 in regulating airway inflammation in the OVA-induced mouse model of asthma.

A Nonsecosteroidal Vitamin D Receptor Modulator Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis without Causing Hypercalcemia.

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonists are currently the agents of choice for the treatment of psoriasis, a skin inflammatory indication that is believed to involve an autoimmune component. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)(2)D(3)], the biologically active metabolite of vitamin D, has shown efficacy in animal autoimmune disease models of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and type I diabetes. However, the side effect of 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3) and its synthetic secosteroidal analogs is hypercalcemia, which is a major impediment in their clinical development for autoimmune diseases. Hypercalcemia develops as a result of the action of VDR agonists on the intestine. Here, we describe the identification of a VDR modulator (VDRM) compound A that was transcriptionally less active in intestinal cells and as a result exhibited less calcemic activity in vivo than 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3). Cytokine analysis indicated that the VDRM not only modulated the T-helper cell balance from Th1 to Th2 effector function but also inhibited Th17 differentiation. Finally, we demonstrate that the oral administration of compound A inhibited the induction and progress of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice without causing hypercalcemia.

Methylation changes of H19 gene in sperms of X-irradiated mouse and maintenance in offspring.

The nature of imprinting is just differential methylation of imprinted genes. Unlike the non-imprinted genes, the methylation pattern of imprinted genes established during the period of gametogenesis remains unchangeable after fertilization and during embryo development. It implies that gametogenesis is the key stage for methylation pattern of imprinted genes. The imprinting interfered by exogenous factors during this stage could be inherited to offspring and cause genetic effect. Now many studies have proved that ionizing irradiation could disturb DNA methylation. Here we choose BALB/c mice as a research model and X-ray as interfering source to further clarify it. We discovered that the whole-body irradiation of X-ray to male BALB/c mice could influence the methylation pattern of H19 gene in sperms, which resulted in some cytosines of partial CpG islands in the imprinting control region could not transform to methylated cytosines. Furthermore, by copulating the interfered male mice with normal female, we analyzed the promoter methylation pattern of H19 in offspring fetal liver and compared the same to the pattern of male parent in sperms. We found that the majority of methylation changes in offspring liver were related to the ones in their parent sperms. Our data proved that the changes of the H19 gene methylation pattern interfered by X-ray irradiation could be transmitted and maintained in the first-generation offspring.

Resistance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and impaired IL-17 production in protein kinase C theta-deficient mice.

The protein kinase C theta (PKC theta) serine/threonine kinase has been implicated in signaling of T cell activation, proliferation, and cytokine production. However, the in vivo consequences of ablation of PKC theta on T cell function in inflammatory autoimmune disease have not been thoroughly examined. In this study we used PKC theta-deficient mice to investigate the potential involvement of PKC theta in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a prototypic T cell-mediated autoimmune disease model of the CNS. We found that PKC theta-/- mice immunized with the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide MOG(35-55) were completely resistant to the development of clinical experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis compared with wild-type control mice. Flow cytometric and histopathological analysis of the CNS revealed profound reduction of both T cell and macrophage infiltration and demyelination. Ex vivo MOG(35-55) stimulation of splenic T lymphocytes from immunized PKC theta-/- mice revealed significantly reduced production of the Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma as well as the T cell effector cytokine IL-17 despite comparable levels of IL-2 and IL-4 and similar cell proliferative responses. Furthermore, IL-17 expression was dramatically reduced in the CNS of PKC theta-/- mice compared with wild-type mice during the disease course. In addition, PKC theta-/- T cells failed to up-regulate LFA-1 expression in response to TCR activation, and LFA-1 expression was also significantly reduced in the spleens of MOG(35-55)-immunized PKC theta-/- mice as well as in in vitro-stimulated CD4+ T cells compared with wild-type mice. These results underscore the importance of PKC theta in the regulation of multiple T cell functions necessary for the development of autoimmune disease.

Adoptive transfer of in vitro-stimulated CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells increases bacterial clearance and improves survival in polymicrobial sepsis.

Regulatory CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells (Tregs) suppress autoimmune and inflammatory diseases through mechanisms that are only partly understood. Previous studies suggest that Tregs can suppress bacterially triggered intestinal inflammation and respond to LPS through TLRs with enhanced suppressive activity. In this study, we have used murine cecal ligation and puncture as a model of polymicrobial sepsis to explore the effects of adoptive transfer of Tregs on septic outcome. Adoptive transfer of in vitro-stimulated Tregs in both prevention and therapeutic modes significantly improved survival of cecal ligation and puncture mice. Furthermore, the effect was dependent on both the number of Tregs adoptively transferred and the presence of host T cells. Animals that received stimulated Tregs had significantly increased peritoneal mast cells and peritoneal TNF-alpha production. More importantly, adoptive transfer of in vitro-stimulated Tregs significantly improved bacterial clearance, which resulted in improved survival. Our results suggest a novel role for Tregs in sepsis.

Resistance to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by death receptor 6-deficient mice.

Genetic disruption of death receptor 6 (DR6) results in enhanced CD4+ T cell expansion, Th2 differentiation, and humoral responses after stimulation. However, the in vivo consequences of DR6 targeting (DR6-/-) during the initiation and progression of inflammatory autoimmune disease are unclear. Using a myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG(35-55))-induced model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, DR6-/- mice were found to be highly resistant to both the onset and the progression of CNS disease compared with wild-type (WT) littermates. DR6-/- mice exhibited fewer inflammatory foci along with minimal demyelination and perivascular cuffing of inflammatory cells. Consistent with these observations, mononuclear cell infiltration, including CD4+ T cells and macrophages, in the spinal cord of DR6-/- mice was dramatically reduced. Furthermore, CD4+ T cells from DR6-/- mice exhibited profoundly reduced cell surface expression of VLA-4 before and after stimulation. Compared with WT mice, DR6-/- mice exhibited significantly increased autoantigen-induced T cell proliferative responses along with greater numbers of IL-4-producing and similar or slightly higher numbers of IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells. DR6-/- CD4+ T cells secreted higher levels of the Th2 cytokine, IL-4, and similar levels of the Th1 cytokine, IFN-gamma, compared with WT cells. Taken together, our data demonstrate that DR6 plays an important role in regulating leukocyte infiltration and function in the induction and progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Constitutive expression of PcsB suppresses the requirement for the essential VicR (YycF) response regulator in Streptococcus pneumoniae R6.

We report several new findings about the function of the essential VicRK two-component regulatory system (TCS) in the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. The vicR-encoded response regulator, vicK-encoded histidine kinase and the protein encoded by the downstream vicX gene are the homologues of the YycF, YycG and YycJ proteins, respectively, studied previously in Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Using a regulatable promoter, we demonstrated that the VicK histidine kinase is conditionally required for growth of S. pneumoniae. Likewise, we found that the VicX protein is also conditionally required for growth and probably plays a role in the essential signal transduction pathway mediated by VicR and VicK. Recovery of limited substitutions in the conserved aspartate 52 residue (D52) of VicR was consistent with a requirement for phosphorylation of VicR for growth under some conditions. We applied microarrays to characterize the changes in transcription patterns in bacteria depleted for vicRKX operon expression. Our results suggest that the pcsB gene is a target of the VicRK TCS. We present evidence that downregulation of pcsB could account for many of the defects in cell growth, shape, size and morphology observed in bacteria depleted for vicRKX expression. Furthermore, constitutive expression of pcsB+ suppressed the essential requirement for the VicRK TCS and allowed the isolation of vicR null mutants.

Vancomycin tolerance induced by erythromycin but not by loss of vncRS, vex3, or pep27 function in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Vancomycin-tolerant Streptococcus pneumoniae is a growing problem among drug-resistant human pathogens. Some vancomycin-tolerant pneumococci have been reported to carry mutations in loci encoding a two-component regulatory system designated VncRS or in a proximal ABC transporter, Vex. A model was advanced proposing that the tolerance phenotype resulted from the inability of a vncS mutant to respond to the Vex-transported Pep27 "death peptide" signal and dephosphorylate VncR, thereby preventing relief of repression of autolytic and other cell death functions in response to antibiotics. To explore this hypothesis, we constructed mutations in vncS, vncR, vex3, and pep27 in S. pneumoniae strain R6 and two additional genetic backgrounds. The lytic responses of the isogenic DeltavncS, Deltavex3, DeltavncR, and Deltapep27 mutants, but not a DeltalytA strain, to vancomycin were indistinguishable from that of the parent strain. DeltavncS strains also failed to exhibit tolerance to vancomycin at various doses in multiple media and showed wild-type sensitivity to other classes of autolysis-inducing antibiotics. In contrast, addition of subinhibitory levels of the antibiotic erythromycin led to tolerance to vancomycin during late, but not early, exponential-phase growth in a DeltavncS strain, in the parent strain R6, and in two other strains bearing erythromycin resistance markers, namely, a DeltavncR strain and an unrelated DeltacomD strain that is defective in competence-quorum sensing. Thus, this tolerance effect resulted from changes in cell growth or other erythromycin-dependent phenomena and not inactivation of vncS per se. Consistent with these results, and in contrast to a previous report, we found that a synthetic form of Pep27 did not elicit lytic or nonlytic killing of pneumococci. Finally, microarray transcriptional analysis and beta-galactosidase reporter assays revealed VncS-dependent regulation of the vex123 gene cluster but did not support a role for VncRS in the regulation of autolytic or other putative cell death loci. Based on these findings, we propose that vancomycin tolerance in S. pneumoniae does not result from loss of vncS function alone.