Intracellular immune sensing promotes inflammation via gasdermin D-driven release of a lectin alarmin.

Inflammatory caspase sensing of cytosolic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers pyroptosis and the concurrent release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Collectively, DAMPs are key determinants that shape the aftermath of inflammatory cell death. However, the identity and function of the individual DAMPs released are poorly defined. Our proteomics study revealed that cytosolic LPS sensing triggered the release of galectin-1, a ß-galactoside-binding lectin. Galectin-1 release is a common feature of inflammatory cell death, including necroptosis. In vivo studies using galectin-1-deficient mice, recombinant galectin-1 and galectin-1-neutralizing antibody showed that galectin-1 promotes inflammation and plays a detrimental role in LPS-induced lethality. Mechanistically, galectin-1 inhibition of CD45 (Ptprc) underlies its unfavorable role in endotoxin shock. Finally, we found increased galectin-1 in sera from human patients with sepsis. Overall, we uncovered galectin-1 as a bona fide DAMP released as a consequence of cytosolic LPS sensing, identifying a new outcome of inflammatory cell death.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles Mediate Cytosolic Localization of LPS and Caspase-11 Activation.

Sensing of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the cytosol triggers caspase-11 activation and is central to host defense against Gram-negative bacterial infections and to the pathogenesis of sepsis. Most Gram-negative bacteria that activate caspase-11, however, are not cytosolic, and the mechanism by which LPS from these bacteria gains access to caspase-11 in the cytosol remains elusive. Here, we identify outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) produced by Gram-negative bacteria as a vehicle that delivers LPS into the cytosol triggering caspase-11-dependent effector responses in vitro and in vivo. OMVs are internalized via endocytosis, and LPS is released into the cytosol from early endosomes. The use of hypovesiculating bacterial mutants, compromised in their ability to generate OMVs, reveals the importance of OMVs in mediating the cytosolic localization of LPS. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a critical role for OMVs in enabling the cytosolic entry of LPS and, consequently, caspase-11 activation during Gram-negative bacterial infections.

DNA Damage Signaling Instructs Polyploid Macrophage Fate in Granulomas.

Granulomas are immune cell aggregates formed in response to persistent inflammatory stimuli. Granuloma macrophage subsets are diverse and carry varying copy numbers of their genomic information. The molecular programs that control the differentiation of such macrophage populations in response to a chronic stimulus, though critical for disease outcome, have not been defined. Here, we delineate a macrophage differentiation pathway by which a persistent Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 signal instructs polyploid macrophage fate by inducing replication stress and activating the DNA damage response. Polyploid granuloma-resident macrophages formed via modified cell divisions and mitotic defects and not, as previously thought, by cell-to-cell fusion. TLR2 signaling promoted macrophage polyploidy and suppressed genomic instability by regulating Myc and ATR. We propose that, in the presence of persistent inflammatory stimuli, pathways previously linked to oncogene-initiated carcinogenesis instruct a long-lived granuloma-resident macrophage differentiation program that regulates granulomatous tissue remodeling.

Induction of innate immune memory via microRNA targeting of chromatin remodelling factors.

Prolonged exposure to microbial products such as lipopolysaccharide can induce a form of innate immune memory that blunts subsequent responses to unrelated pathogens, known as lipopolysaccharide tolerance. Sepsis is a dysregulated systemic immune response to disseminated infection that has a high mortality rate. In some patients, sepsis results in a period of immunosuppression (known as 'immunoparalysis')1 characterized by reduced inflammatory cytokine output2, increased secondary infection3 and an increased risk of organ failure and mortality4. Lipopolysaccharide tolerance recapitulates several key features of sepsis-associated immunosuppression5. Although various epigenetic changes have previously been observed in tolerized macrophages6-8, the molecular basis of tolerance, immunoparalysis and other forms of innate immune memory has remained unclear. Here we perform a screen for tolerance-associated microRNAs and identify miR-221 and miR-222 as regulators of the functional reprogramming of macrophages during lipopolysaccharide tolerization. Prolonged stimulation with lipopolysaccharide in mice leads to increased expression of miR-221 and mir-222, both of which regulate brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1, also known as Smarca4). This increased expression causes the transcriptional silencing of a subset of inflammatory genes that depend on chromatin remodelling mediated by SWI/SNF (switch/sucrose non-fermentable) and STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription), which in turn promotes tolerance. In patients with sepsis, increased expression of miR-221 and miR-222 correlates with immunoparalysis and increased organ damage. Our results show that specific microRNAs can regulate macrophage tolerization and may serve as biomarkers of immunoparalysis and poor prognosis in patients with sepsis.

The TLR-chaperone CNPY3 is a critical regulator of NLRP3-inflammasome activation.

TLRs mediate the recognition of microbial and endogenous insults to orchestrate the inflammatory response. TLRs localize to the plasma membrane or endomembranes, depending on the member, and rely critically on ER-resident chaperones to mature and reach their subcellular destinations. The chaperone canopy FGF signaling regulator 3 (CNPY3) is necessary for the proper trafficking of multiple TLRs including TLR1/2/4/5/9 but not TLR3. However, the exact role of CNPY3 in inflammatory signalling downstream of TLRs has not been studied in detail. Consistent with the reported client specificity, we report here that functional loss of CNPY3 in engineered macrophages impairs downstream signalling by TLR2 but not TLR3. Unexpectedly, CNPY3-deficient macrophages show reduced IL-1ß and IL-18 processing and production independent of the challenged upstream TLR species, demonstrating a separate, specific role for CNPY3 in inflammasome activation. Mechanistically, we document that CNPY3 regulates caspase-1 localization to the apoptosis speck and autoactivation of caspase-1. Importantly, we were able to recapitulate these findings in macrophages from an early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE) patient with a novel CNPY3 loss-of-function variant. Summarizing, our findings reveal a hitherto unknown, TLR-independent role of CNPY3 in inflammasome activation, highlighting a more complex and dedicated role of CNPY3 to the inflammatory response than anticipated.

Peritoneal Level of CD206 Associates With Mortality and an Inflammatory Macrophage Phenotype in Patients With Decompensated Cirrhosis and Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Peritoneal macrophages (PMs) regulate inflammation and control bacterial infections in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. We aimed to characterize PMs and associate their activation with outcomes of patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). METHODS: We isolated PMs from ascites samples of 66 patients with decompensated cirrhosis (19 with SBP) and analyzed them by flow cytometry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, functional analysis, and RNA microarrays. We used ascites samples of a separate cohort of 111 patients with decompensated cirrhosis (67 with SBP) and quantified the soluble form of the mannose receptor (CD206) and tumor necrosis factor by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (test cohort). We performed logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with 90-day mortality. We validated our findings using data from 71 patients with cirrhosis and SBP. Data from 14 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis for end-stage renal disease but without cirrhosis were included as controls. RESULTS: We used surface levels of CD206 to identify subsets of large PMs (LPM) and small PMs (SPM), which differed in granularity and maturation markers, in ascites samples from patients with cirrhosis. LPMs vs SPMs from patients with cirrhosis had different transcriptomes; we identified more than 4000 genes that were differentially regulated in LPMs vs SPMs, including those that regulate the cycle, metabolism, self-renewal, and immune cell signaling. LPMs had an inflammatory phenotype, were less susceptible to tolerance induction, and released more tumor necrosis factor than SPMs. LPMs from patients with cirrhosis produced more inflammatory cytokines than LPMs from controls. Activation of PMs by Toll-like receptor agonists and live bacteria altered levels of CD206 on the surface of LPMs and release of soluble CD206. Analysis of serial ascites fluid from patients with SBP revealed loss of LPMs in the early phase of SBP, but levels increased after treatment. In the test and validation cohorts, patients with SBP and higher concentrations of soluble CD206 in ascites fluid (>0.53 mg/L) were less likely to survive for 90 days than those with lower levels. CONCLUSIONS: Surface level of CD206 can be used to identify mature, resident, inflammatory PMs in patients with cirrhosis. Soluble CD206 is released from activated LPMs and increased concentrations in patients with cirrhosis and SBP indicate reduced odds of surviving for 90 days.

Streptococci Engage TLR13 on Myeloid Cells in a Site-Specific Fashion.

Streptococci are common human colonizers with a species-specific mucocutaneous distribution. At the same time, they are among the most important and most virulent invasive bacterial pathogens. Thus, site-specific cellular innate immunity, which is predominantly executed by resident and invading myeloid cells, has to be adapted with respect to streptococcal sensing, handling, and response. In this article, we show that TLR13 is the critical mouse macrophage (MΦ) receptor in the response to group B Streptococcus, both in bone marrow-derived MΦs and in mature tissue MΦs, such as those residing in the lamina propria of the colon and the dermis, as well as in microglia. In contrast, TLR13 and its chaperone UNC-93B are dispensable for a potent cytokine response of blood monocytes to group B Streptococcus, although monocytes serve as the key progenitors of intestinal and dermal MΦs. Furthermore, a specific role for TLR13 with respect to MΦ function is supported by the response to staphylococci, where TLR13 and UNC-93B limit the cytokine response in bone marrow-derived MΦs and microglia, but not in dermal MΦs. In summary, TLR13 is a critical and site-specific receptor in the single MΦ response to ß-hemolytic streptococci.

The endolysosomal cysteine cathepsins L and K are involved in macrophage-mediated clearance of Staphylococcus aureus and the concomitant cytokine induction.

Cysteine cathepsins are endolysosomal cysteine proteases highly expressed in macrophages; however, their individual contributions to the elimination of bacteria and bacteria-induced cytokine production by macrophages are unknown. We assessed the contribution of cysteine cathepsins to macrophage defense pathways against Staphylococcus aureus by using chemical inhibitors and by infecting primary bone marrow-derived macrophages deficient in 1 of 7 major macrophage-expressed endolysosomal cysteine proteases. We show that cysteine cathepsins are involved in the phagocytosis and killing of S. aureus. Cathepsin L was identified as an executor of nonoxidative killing. Moreover, microarray data revealed cysteine cathepsins to be important for the maximal induction of certain proinflammatory genes, such as IL6, in response to S. aureus. Cysteine cathepsin's contribution to IL6 production was dependent on phagocytosis, and cathepsin K was identified to be a critical protease in this process. Analysis of macrophages with impaired trafficking of endolysosomal Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to the acidic compartment revealed that they were not involved in cathepsin-dependent IL6 induction. Because IL6 production was completely dependent on the TLR-adaptor protein myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88), it appears that other TLRs are involved. In summary, lysosomal cysteine proteases are functionally linked to the complex bactericidal and inflammatory activities of macrophages.

NO is a macrophage autonomous modifier of the cytokine response to streptococcal single-stranded RNA.

Group B streptococci, a major cause of sepsis, induce inflammatory cytokines in strict dependence on bacterial ssRNA and the host molecules MyD88 and UNC-93B. In this study, we show that NO plays an important role in Group B streptococci-induced transcriptional activation of cytokine genes. Phagocytosis induced NO in a MyD88-dependent fashion. In turn, NO propagated the acidification of phagosomes and the processing of phagosomal bacterial nucleic acids and was required for potent transcriptional activation of cytokine genes by streptococci. This NO-dependent amplification loop has important mechanistic implications for the anti-streptococcal macrophage response and sepsis pathogenesis.

Insulin modulates the inflammatory granulocyte response to streptococci via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.

Group B streptococci (GBS; Streptococcus agalactiae) are a major cause of invasive infections in newborn infants and in patients with type 2 diabetes. Both patient groups exhibit peripheral insulin resistance and alterations in polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PML) function. In this investigation, we studied the PML response repertoire to GBS with a focus on TLR signaling and the modulation of this response by insulin in mice and humans. We found that GBS-induced, MyD88-dependent chemokine formation of PML was specifically downmodulated by insulin via insulin receptor-mediated induction of PI3K. PI3K inhibited transcription of chemokine genes on the level of NF-κB activation and binding. Insulin specifically modulated the chemokine response of PML to whole bacteria, but affected neither activation by purified TLR agonists nor antimicrobial properties, such as migration, phagocytosis, bacterial killing, and formation of reactive oxygen species. The targeted modulation of bacteria-induced chemokine formation by insulin via PI3K may form a basis for the development of novel targets of adjunctive sepsis therapy.

Mal connects TLR2 to PI3Kinase activation and phagocyte polarization.

The recognition of bacterial lipoproteins by toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 is pivotal for inflammation initiation and control in many bacterial infections. TLR2-dependent signalling is currently believed to essentially require both adaptor proteins MyD88 (myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88) and Mal/TIRAP (MyD88-adapter-like/TIR-domain-containing adaptor protein). TLR2-dependent, but MyD88-independent responses have not been described yet. We report here on a novel-signalling pathway downstream of TLR2, which does not adhere to the established model. On stimulation of the TLR2/6 heterodimer with diacylated bacterial lipoproteins, Mal directly interacts with the regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), p85alpha, in an inducible fashion. The Mal-p85alpha interaction drives PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of Akt, phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)P3 (PIP(3)) generation and macrophage polarization. MyD88 is not essential for PI3K activation and Akt phosphorylation; however, cooperates with Mal for PIP(3) formation and accumulation at the leading edge. In contrast to TLR2/6, TLR2/1 does not require Mal or MyD88 for Akt phosphorylation. Hence, Mal specifically connects TLR2/6 to PI3K activation, PIP(3) generation and macrophage polarization.

Macrophages recognize streptococci through bacterial single-stranded RNA.

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of both neonatal sepsis and meningitis, two diseases that are characterized by inflammation. However, the manner in which GBS organisms are recognized by monocytes and macrophages is poorly understood. In this study, we report that the recognition of GBS and other Gram-positive bacteria by macrophages and monocytes relies on bacterial single-stranded RNA (ssRNA). ssRNA interacts with a signalling complex, which comprises the Toll-like receptor adaptors MyD88 and UNC-93B, but not the established MyD88-dependent ssRNA sensors. The role of ssRNA in the recognition of Gram-positive bacteria--leading to the induction of inflammatory cytokines--has potential implications for sepsis pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment.

The genome of Beet cryptic virus 1 shows high homology to certain cryptoviruses present in phylogenetically distant hosts.

UNLABELLED: This study determined the complete nucleotide sequence of Beet cryptic virus 1 (BCV1). As expected by analogy to previously sequenced alphacryptoviruses, dsRNA1 (2008 bp) encodes a 72.5-kDa protein containing sequence motifs characteristic for RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp). In addition to the full-length dsRNA1, a truncated form was also detected in dsRNA extracts. dsRNA2 (1783 bp) codes for the viral coat protein (CP) as proven by the identity of the predicted CP sequence to peptide sequences of the purified virion protein. The amino acid sequence of BCV1 RdRp as well as the 5'- and 3'-UTRs show 81-85% identity to the corresponding regions of Vicia cryptic virus (VCV), White clover cryptic virus 1 (WCCV1) and Carrot cryptic virus (CaCV). The amino acid sequence identity of the CP is about 55-62%, moreover, a strong conservation of predicted alpha-helical regions was observed. The high degree of similarity of these seed- and pollen-transmitted viruses persisting in phylogenetically distant hosts, together with their high similarity to fungal partitiviruses strongly supports the hypothesis that horizontal transfer by a fungus played a role in the emergence of the present cryptovirus species. The change in the distribution of cryptic viruses may also be due to human influence: While earlier BCV1 occurred frequently in sugar beet cultivars, it is very rare in cultivars currently used in agricultural practice and was detected in only one of the 28 cultivars investigated in our experiments. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11262-009-0432-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A Single Step in vitro Bioassay Mimicking TLR4-LPS Pathway and the Role of MD2 and CD14 Coreceptors.

Acute systemic Gram-negative bacterial infections are accompanied by release of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxins into the bloodstream and an innate immune host response via the well-known toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway. In this, LPS associates non-covalently with TLR4 to form an activated heterodimer (LPS/MD2/TLR4)2 complex in vivo, assisted by a coreceptor CD14. This complexation process has been illustrated ex vivo using indirect methods such as cytokine, interleukin, TNF-α measurements and by direct demonstration of sequential binding events on a surface using advanced optics. We are the first ones to carry out homogeneous self-assembly of LPS-rTLR4-MD2 conjugates in vitro in a single step, and further demonstrate the role of CD14 as a catalyst during this process. The assay comprises of LPS, MD2, CD14, and recombinant TLR4-conjugated magnetic particles co-incubated in a buffer at room temperature. The complexes are removed by magnetic separation and the extent of binding is estimated by quantifying the unbound biomolecules in the supernatant using standard biophysical techniques. Our results show that rTLR4-MD2-LPS complexes form in an hour and follow a 1:1:1 stoichiometry, in agreement with the in vivo/ex vivo studies. The assay is also highly specific; addition of known LPS-binding ligands decreased the LPS-rTLR4 complexation, allowing its use as a rapid tool for molecular inhibitor screening.

Role of p38 and early growth response factor 1 in the macrophage response to group B streptococcus.

Group B streptococcus (GBS), the most frequent single isolate in neonatal sepsis and meningitis, potently activates inflammatory macrophage genes via myeloid differentiation antigen 88 (MyD88). However, events parallel to and downstream of MyD88 that instruct the macrophage response are incompletely understood. In this study, we found that only MyD88, not the Toll-like receptor (TLR) adapter proteins MAL/TIRAP, TRIF, and TRAM, essentially mediates the cytokine (tumor necrosis factor [TNF] and interleukin-6) and chemokine (RANTES) responses to whole GBS organisms, although MAL, TRIF, and TRAM have been shown to mediate the responses to substructures in other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. GBS-induced, MyD88-dependent phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 activated the transcription factor AP-1 and early growth response factor 1 (Egr-1) but not NF-kappaB. Furthermore, phosphorylation of Ets-like molecule 1 (Elk-1) was mediated by p38. However, in contrast to Egr-1 and AP-1, Elk-1 was dispensable for transcriptional activation of TNF by GBS organisms. Studies of macrophages from Elk-1-deficient mice revealed that Elk-1 was furthermore nonessential for the TNF responses to purified TLR2 and TLR4 agonists, which was in notable contrast to what was revealed in studies employing in vitro expression systems. In conclusion, MyD88, p38, and Egr-1, but not Elk-1, essentially mediate the inflammatory cytokine response to GBS organisms.

Systemic and local modulation of plant responses by Piriformospora indica and related Sebacinales species.

Piriformospora indica is a fungus of the order Sebacinales (Basidiomycota) infesting roots of mono- and dicotyledonous plants. Endophytic fungal colonization leads to enhanced plant growth while host cell death is required for proliferation in differentiated root tissue to form a mutualistic interaction. Colonization of barley roots by P. indica and related Sebacina vermifera strains also leads to systemic resistance against the leaf pathogenic fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei due to a yet unknown mechanism of induced resistance. In order to elucidate plant response pathways governed by these root endophytes, we analyzed gene expression in barley plants exhibiting an established symbiosis with P. indica 3 weeks after inoculation. P. indica-colonized roots showed no induction of defence-related genes, while other genes showed a differential regulation pattern indicating a faster P. indica-dependent root development. Gene expression analysis of leaves detected only few systemically induced mRNAs. Among differentially regulated transcripts, we characterized the pathogenesis-related gene HvPr17b and the molecular chaperone HvHsp70 in more detail. HvPr17b shows similarity with TaWCI5, a wheat gene inducible by chemical resistance inducers and salicylate, and was previously proven to exhibit antifungal activity against B. graminis. HvHsp70 is the first gene found to systemically indicate root colonization with endophytic fungi of the order Sebacinales. Both genes are discussed as markers for endophytic colonization and resulting systemic responses.

High levels of SOX5 decrease proliferative capacity of human B cells, but permit plasmablast differentiation.

Currently very little is known about the differential expression and function of the transcription factor SOX5 during B cell maturation. We identified two new splice variants of SOX5 in human B cells, encoding the known L-SOX5B isoform and a new shorter isoform L-SOX5F. The SOX5 transcripts are highly expressed during late stages of B-cell differentiation, including atypical memory B cells, activated CD21low B cells and germinal center B cells of tonsils. In tonsillar sections SOX5 expression was predominantly polarized to centrocytes within the light zone. After in vitro stimulation, SOX5 expression was down-regulated during proliferation while high expression levels were permissible for plasmablast differentiation. Overexpression of L-SOX5F in human primary B lymphocytes resulted in reduced proliferation, less survival of CD138neg B cells, but comparable numbers of CD138+CD38hi plasmablasts compared to control cells. Thus, our findings describe for the first time a functional role of SOX5 during late B cell development reducing the proliferative capacity and thus potentially affecting the differentiation of B cells during the germinal center response.

Searching for a new putative cryptic virus in Pinus sylvestris L.

Double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) were detected in different pine populations in Germany and Hungary. Two dsRNA species of 1.5 and 1.58 kbp, respectively, persisted in the same trees for at least 2 years and their presence was not associated with any symptoms. The dsRNAs were found to sediment in the VLP (virus-like particles) fraction and to be protected by protein(s) against RNase A digestion at low salt. cDNA cloning and sequencing of the smaller segment (dsRNA2) led to the identification of a putative RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) containing the GDD, as well as three other, conserved motifs. Sequence comparison with different RNA viruses and phylogenetic analysis indicates that the putative RdRp from pine shows highest similarity to the homologous proteins of Beet cryptic virus 3 and of a cryptic virus of Pyrus pyrifolia. On the basis of these results we suggest that the 1.5 and 1.58 kbp dsRNAs in P. sylvestris may represent the genomic segments of a new plant cryptic virus, Cryptoviruses have not yet been reported to occur in Gymnosperms.