A stress sensor, IRE1α, is required for bacterial-exotoxin-induced interleukin-1ß production in tissue-resident macrophages.

Cholera toxin (CT), a bacterial exotoxin composed of one A subunit (CTA) and five B subunits (CTB), functions as an immune adjuvant. CTB can induce production of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), a proinflammatory cytokine, in synergy with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS), from resident peritoneal macrophages (RPMs) through the pyrin and NLRP3 inflammasomes. However, how CTB or CT activates these inflammasomes in the macrophages has been unclear. Here, we clarify the roles of inositol-requiring enzyme 1 alpha (IRE1α), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensor, in CT-induced IL-1ß production in RPMs. In RPMs, CTB is incorporated into the ER and induces ER stress responses, depending on GM1, a cell membrane ganglioside. IRE1α-deficient RPMs show a significant impairment of CT- or CTB-induced IL-1ß production, indicating that IRE1α is required for CT- or CTB-induced IL-1ß production in RPMs. This study demonstrates the critical roles of IRE1α in activation of both NLRP3 and pyrin inflammasomes in tissue-resident macrophages.

N6-methylated adenine on the target sites of mamA from Mycobacterium bovis BCG enhances macrophage activation by CpG DNA in mice.

CpG motifs in DNA sequences are recognized by Toll-like receptor 9 and activate immune cells. Bacterial genomic DNA (gDNA) has modified cytosine bases (5-methylcytosine [5 mC]) and modified adenine bases (6-methyladenine [6 mA]). 5 mC inhibits immune activation by CpG DNA; however, it is unclear whether 6 mA inhibits immune activation by CpG DNA. Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG) has three adenine methyltransferases (MTases) that act on specific target sequences. In this study, we examined whether the 6 mA at the target sites of adenine MTases affected the immunostimulatory activity of CpG DNA. Our results showed that only 6 mA located at the target sequence of mamA, an adenine MTase from BCG, enhanced interleukin (IL)-12p40 production from murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) stimulated with CpG DNA. Enhancement of IL-12p40 production in BMDMs was also observed when BMDMs were stimulated with CpG DNA ligated to oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) harboring 6 mA. Accordingly, we then evaluated whether gDNA from adenine MTase-deficient BCG was less efficient with regard to stimulation of BMDMs. Indeed, gDNA from a mamA-deficient BCG had less ability to activate BMDMs than that from wild-type BCG. We concluded from these results that adenine methylation on ODNs and bacterial gDNA may enhance immune activity induced by CpG DNA.

Tolerogenic properties of CD206+ macrophages appeared in the sublingual mucosa after repeated antigen-painting.

The sublingual mucosa (SLM) in the oral cavity is utilized as the site for sublingual immunotherapy to induce tolerance against allergens. We previously reported that CD206+ round-type macrophage-like cells were induced in the SLM after repeated antigen (e.g. cedar pollen or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC))-painting. In this study, we examined the phenotypic and functional properties of CD206+ cells induced by repeated FITC-painting on the SLM. CD206+ cells after the repeated FITC-painting possessed a macrophage-like CD11b+Ly6C+ F4/80+CD64+ phenotype and expressed TIM-4, which was expressed in tolerogenic tissue-resident macrophages, at a high level. SLM CD206+ cells preferentially expressed molecules related to endocytosis and homeostatic processes, including the novel B7 family of immune checkpoint molecules, as assessed by microarray analyses. SLM CD206+ cells showed preferential expression of M2-related genes such as Fizz1, Aldh1a1 and Aldh1a2 but not Ym-1 and Arginase-1. A CD206+ cell-rich status inhibited OVA-specific CD4+ T-cell responses but reciprocally enhanced the proportion of both IL-10+CD4+ cells and Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells in regional lymph nodes. Co-culture of CD206+ cells with dendritic cells (DCs) showed that IL-12 production was suppressed in DCs concurrent with the decline of the MHC class IIhiCD86+ population, which was restored by neutralization of IL-10. These results demonstrate SLM CD206+ cells show the feature of tolerogenic macrophages and down-regulate the antigen-presenting cell function of mature DCs resulting in the inhibition of CD4+ T-cell responses.

Suppression of MyD88- and TRIF-dependent signaling pathways of Toll-like receptor by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a polyphenol component of green tea.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in recognition of microbial components and induction of innate immunity. The microbial components trigger the activation of two downstream signaling pathways of TLRs; MyD88- and/or TRIF-dependent pathways leading to activation of NF-kappaB. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a flavonoid found in green tea, is known to inhibit NF-kappaB activation induced by many pro-inflammatory stimuli. EGCG was shown to inhibit the activity of IKKbeta which is the key kinase in the canonical pathway for NF-kappaB activation in MyD88-dependent pathway of TLRs. However, it is not known whether EGCG inhibits TRIF-dependent pathway through which more than 70% of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced genes are regulated. Therefore, we attempted to identify the molecular target of EGCG in TRIF-dependent pathways of TLR3 and TLR4. EGCG inhibited the activation of IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) induced by LPS, poly[I:C], or the overexpression of TRIF. The inhibition of IRF3 activation by EGCG was mediated through the suppression of the kinase activity of TBK1. However, EGCG did not inhibit activation of IRF3 induced by overexpression of constitutively active IRF3. These results suggest that the molecular target of EGCG is TBK1 in TRIF-dependent signaling pathways of TLR3 and TLR4. Therefore, our results suggest that green tea flavonoids can modulate both MyD88- and TRIF-dependent signaling pathways of TLRs and subsequent inflammatory target gene expression.

Safflower polysaccharides activate the transcription factor NF-kappa B via Toll-like receptor 4 and induce cytokine production by macrophages.

Two active polysaccharide fractions (SF1 and SF2) purified from dried safflower petals (Carthamus tinctorius L.) stimulated the synthesis of various cytokines by peritoneal macrophages. In a number of cell types, SF1 and SF2 induced a rapid degradation of IkappaB alpha essential for the activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), but not TLR2, was expressed in all cell lines that responded to SF1 and SF2. Enforced expression of TLR4 and MD-2 rendered responsiveness to SF1 and SF2. Moreover, these safflower polysaccharides failed to induce the production of TNF-alpha and NO by peritoneal macrophages prepared from C3H/HeJ mice that have a point mutation in the Tlr4 gene. Thus, these observations clearly indicate that safflower polysaccharides activate the NF-kappaB signaling pathway via TLR4.