The role of the E2F1 transcription factor in the innate immune response to systemic LPS.

Previous publications from our and other groups identified E2F1 as a transcription factor involved in the regulation of inflammatory response to Toll-like receptor ligands including LPS. In this study, we challenged E2F1-deficient mice with LPS systemically and demonstrated decreased survival despite attenuated inflammatory response compared with controls. Gene expression profiling of liver tissue identified a dampened transcriptional response in the coagulation cascade in B6;129(E2F1-/-) compared with B6x129 F2 mice. These data were further corroborated by increased prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrin split products in the blood of E2F1-deficient mice, suggesting disseminated intravascular coagulation as a consequence of uncontrolled sepsis providing at least a partial explanation for their decreased survival despite attenuated inflammatory response. To identify novel miRNAs involved in the innate immune response to LPS, we also performed miRNA profiling of liver tissue from B6;129(E2F1-/-) and B6x129 F2 mice treated with LPS systemically. Our analysis identified a set of miRNAs and their mRNA targets that are significantly differentially regulated in E2F1-deficient but not control mice including let-7g, miR-101b, miR-181b, and miR-455. These miRNAs represent novel regulators of the innate immune response. In summary, we used transcriptional and miRNA profiling to characterize the response of E2F1-deficient mice to systemic LPS.

A locus on chromosome 9 is associated with differential response of 129S1/SvImJ and FVB/NJ strains of mice to systemic LPS.

Although polymorphisms in TLR receptors and downstream signaling molecules affect the innate immune response, these variants account for only a portion of the ability of the host to respond to microorganisms. To identify novel genes that regulate the host response to systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we created an F2 intercross between susceptible (FVB/NJ) and resistant (129S1/SvImJ) strains, challenged F2 progeny with LPS via intraperitoneal injection, and phenotyped 605 animals for survival and another 500 mice for serum concentrations of IL-1ß and IL-6. Genome-wide scans were performed on pools of susceptible and resistant mice for survival, IL-1ß, and IL-6. This approach identified a locus on the telomeric end of the q arm of chromosome 9 (0-40 Mb) that was associated with the differences in morbidity and serum concentrations of IL-1ß and IL-6 following systemic LPS in FVB/NJ and 129S1/SvImJ strains of mice. Fine mapping narrowed the locus to 3.7 Mb containing 11 known genes, among which are three inflammatory caspases. We studied expression of genes within the locus by quantitative RT-PCR and showed that Casp1 and Casp12 levels are unaffected by LPS in both strains, whereas Casp4 is highly induced by LPS in FVB/NJ but not in 129S1/SvImJ mice. In conclusion, our mapping results indicate that a 3.7-Mb region on chromosome 9 contains a gene that regulates differential response to LPS in 129S1/SvImJ and FVB/NJ strains of mice. Differences in the induction of Casp4 expression by LPS in the two strains suggest that Casp4 is the most likely candidate gene in this region.

Gene expression profiles of RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated with preparations of LPS differing in isolation and purity.

Lipopolysaccharide is a major component of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria and a potent stimulator of innate immune response via TLR4. Studies on the LPS action both in vivo and in vitro have used different preparations of LPS, including ultra-pure LPS (LIST) and a less pure but less expensive form (Sigma) isolated from Escherichia coli serotype O111:B4. The difference between the effects of these compounds has not been well studied although this information is important in understanding TLR stimulation. In this study, we compared response of RAW264.7 macrophage cells treated LIST or Sigma LPS for 6 h and 24 h. Gene expression data were analyzed to identify specific genes and pathways that are in common and unique to the two LPS preparations. Seven hundred fifty-five genes were differentially expressed at 6 h in response to Sigma LPS and 973 were differentially expressed following LIST LPS treatment, with 503 in common. At 24 h, Sigma LPS induced or repressed 901 genes while 1646 genes were differentially regulated by LIST LPS treatment; 701 genes were shared by two forms of LPS. Although considerably more genes were differentially expressed in response to LIST LPS, similar molecular pathways and transcriptional networks were activated by the two LPS preparations. We also treated bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) from three strains of mice with different concentrations of LIST and Sigma LPS and showed that BMMs produced more IL-6 and TNF-α in response to LIST LPS at low LPS concentrations but, at higher LPS concentrations, more cytokines were produced in response to stimulation by Sigma LPS. Together, these findings suggest that, despite activation of similar molecular pathways by LIST and Sigma LPS preparations, residual protein impurities in the Sigma LPS preparation may nevertheless influence the transcriptional profile attributed to TLR4 stimulation.

Identification of novel innate immune genes by transcriptional profiling of macrophages stimulated with TLR ligands.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key receptors in innate immunity and trigger responses following interaction with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). TLR3, TLR4 and TLR9 recognize double stranded RNA, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and CpG DNA, respectively. These receptors differ importantly in downstream adaptor molecules. TLR4 signals through MyD88 and TRIF; in contrast, the TLR3 pathway involves only TRIF while TLR9 signals solely through MyD88. To determine how differences in downstream signaling could influence gene expression in innate immunity, gene expression patterns were determined for the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line stimulated with LPS, poly (I:C), or CpG DNA. Gene expression profiles 6 and 24h post-stimulation were analyzed to determine genes, pathways and transcriptional networks induced. As these experiments showed, the number and extent of genes expressed varied with stimulus. LPS and poly (I:C) induced an abundant array of genes in RAW264.7 cells at 6h and 24h following treatment while CpG DNA induced many fewer. By analyzing data for networks and pathways, we prioritized differentially expressed genes with respect to those common to the three TLR ligands as well as those shared by LPS and poly (I:C) but not CpG DNA. The importance of changes in gene expression was demonstrated by experiments indicating that RNA interference-mediated inhibition of two genes identified in this analysis, PLEC1 and TPST1, reduced IL-6 production by J774A.1 and RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS. Together, these findings delineate macrophage gene response patterns induced by different PAMPs and identify new genes that have not previously been implicated in innate immunity.