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*
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814;
Department of Pathology, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Boston, MA 02115;
Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; and
Division of Molecular Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY 11030
| Abstract |
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,
IFN-inducible protein (IP)-10, and IFN consensus sequence binding
protein (ICSBP) genes in response to LPS or the LPS-mimetic, Taxol, was
examined using macrophages derived from mice deficient for these
membrane-associated proteins. The panel of genes selected reflects
diverse macrophage effector functions that contribute to the
pathogenesis of septic shock. Induction of the entire panel of genes in
response to low concentrations of LPS or Taxol requires the
participation of both CD14 and TLR4, whereas high concentrations of LPS
or Taxol elicit the expression of a subset of LPS-inducible genes in
the absence of CD14. In contrast, for optimal induction of COX-2, IL-12
p35, and IL-12 p40 genes by low concentrations of LPS or by all
concentrations of Taxol, CD11b/CD18 was also required. Mitigated
induction of COX-2, IL-12 p35, and IL-12 p40 gene expression by
CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages correlated with a marked inhibition of
NF-
B nuclear translocation and mitogen-activated protein kinase
(MAPK) activation in response to Taxol and of NF-
B nuclear
translocation in response to LPS. These findings suggest that for
expression of a full repertoire of LPS-/Taxol-inducible genes, CD14,
TLR4, and CD11b/CD18 must be coordinately engaged to deliver optimal
signaling to the macrophage. | Introduction |
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Over the years, many LPS-binding proteins have been identified on
monocytes/macrophages and other LPS-responsive cell types (reviewed in
Refs. 4, 5). The identification of CD14, a GPI-anchored
protein, as a major cell-associated, LPS binding protein, represents a
seminal observation in the understanding of LPS signaling (6, 7). However, as CD14 lacks a transmembrane region and is
incapable of signaling (8), transmembrane proteins with
the potential for intracellular signaling were sought as CD14
coreceptors. Recently, several members of the highly conserved family
of Toll-like receptor
(TLR)5 proteins have
been characterized as cosignaling molecules for CD14 (reviewed in Ref.
9). Briefly, the evidence that TLR4 is an LPS signaling
molecule was first suggested by the finding that a constitutively
active form of TLR4 resulted in activation of NF-
B, IL-8 production,
and activation of costimulatory molecules (10). These data
were complimented by the findings that cells derived from
LPS-hyporesponsive C3H/HeJ and C57BL/10ScCR mice exhibit missense and
deletion mutations, respectively, in the tlr4 gene
(11, 12). Interestingly, F1 progeny,
hemizygous for the defective allele carried by the C3H/HeJ mice (e.g.,
derived from a cross of C3H/HeJ mice with a radiation-induced mutant
that carries a
9-kb deletion that encompasses tlr4),
respond to LPS in vivo to produce significant levels of TNF-
(13), suggesting the possibility that other signaling
molecules may be used in vivo, and may depend on the particular genetic
background used. In addition to TLR4, TLR2 has also been implicated in
LPS-mediated signaling both in transfected cell lines, where CD14
coexpression was found to synergize for LPS-induced NF-
B-mediated
signaling (14, 15, 16), and in human PBMCs, as evidenced by
the efficacy of an anti-TLR2 mAb to block LPS-induced IL-12 mRNA
expression almost completely (17). However, analysis of
mice with targeted disruptions in their tlr2 or
tlr4 genes revealed that TLR4 knockouts, but not TLR2
knockouts, are LPS unresponsive, whereas TLR2 appears to be essential
for the response to other non-LPS bacterial cell wall products
(18, 19). One possible explanation for the discrepancies
related to TLR2 use by LPS can be found in recent work by Hirschfeld et
al. (20). In these experiments, commercial LPS
preparations, which were active on both TLR2 and TLR4 transfectants,
were repurified to remove highly bioactive, endotoxin-associated
proteins. Following repurification, the preparations were active only
on TLR4 transfectants, suggesting that TLR2 transfectants are very
sensitive to the contaminants within these commercial LPS preparations.
Lastly, oligomerization among different TLR molecules may create unique
LPS signaling receptors.
Taxol, a plant diterpene, shares a number of macrophage stimulatory
functions with LPS including the ability to discriminate between
LPS-responsive and hyporesponsive strains of mice
(21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26). Due to its superior chemistry, Taxol analogs
with highly reactive substituents have been used as a novel approach to
identify LPS-binding and signaling molecules. Using a photoaffinity
Taxol analog to cross-link mouse macrophage membranes, Taxol was shown
to bind to the common CD18 subunit of heterodimeric
2 integrins (27), a family of
proteins that has been shown previously to bind LPS (28).
Of the three
2 integrins expressed on
leukocytes, macrophages predominantly express CD11b/CD18 (also called
Mac-1 or CR3).
In this study, the importance of CD11b/CD18 in LPS- and Taxol-induced
expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), IL-12 p35, TNF-
, IP-10, and
IFN consensus sequence binding protein (ICSBP) genes, as well as in the
translocation of NF-
B to the nucleus and activation of
mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), was evaluated in macrophages
derived from CD11b/CD18-deficient and normal mice. This panel of genes
was selected for analysis based on their high levels of expression in
normal macrophages in response to LPS and for the capacity of their
products to mediate diverse macrophage effector functions in the host
that contribute to septic shock. For example, COX-2 is an enzyme that
regulates the production of prostaglandins, mainly
PGE2, by macrophages and is responsible for the
generation of fever and pain during inflammation (29, 30).
COX-2 enzymatic activity also results in the generation of
PGI2, which induces vasodilatation and
contributes to hypotension during septic shock (31). IL-12
has been implicated in the production of cell-mediated immune responses
against a variety of pathogens, in addition to its lethal role in
LPS-induced shock in mice (32, 33). TNF-
is a
proinflammatory cytokine commonly associated with septic shock (Ref.
34 ; reviewed in Ref. 35). IP-10 is a CXC
chemokine that regulates monocyte, lymphocyte, and NK cell trafficking
to sites of inflammation and thereby participates in host defense and
inflammation (36, 37). ICSBP is a transcription factor
that is critical for the expression of IL-12 p40 (38). The
extent of the requirement for coreceptors CD14 and TLR4 leading to the
activation of these same genes was also examined.
We report that at low concentrations of LPS or Taxol, CD14 and TLR4 were obligatory for gene expression, but many of the genes examined were CD14 independent at high concentrations. Certain genes, e.g., IP-10 and ICSBP, are extremely CD14 dependent, even at the highest concentrations of LPS and Taxol tested. For optimal induction of COX-2, and both IL-12 p35 and p40 genes, which encode heterodimeric bioactive IL-12 p70, all three receptors, CD11b/CD18, CD14, and TLR4, are required. These results support a model in which the coordinated interaction of LPS/Taxol with CD14 and/or CD11b/CD18 results in the stabilization of a multimeric receptor complex that includes TLR4, and that CD14 and CD11b/CD18 contribute differentially to the activation of signaling pathways for optimal inflammatory gene expression.
| Materials and Methods |
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The generation and breeding of all knockout mice used in this study have been reported previously (18, 39, 40). Mice with a targeted mutation in CD11b, which gives rise to mice that express a paucity of CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1) on the surface of their macrophages (40), and background-matched control wild-type mice were bred at Longwood Medical Research Center (Boston, MA). CD14-deficient mice, backcrossed onto a C57BL/6 background, were bred at North Shore University Hospital (Manhasset, NY). TLR4-deficient mice were bred at Osaka University (Osaka, Japan). C57BL/10ScNCR mice were purchased from the National Cancer Institute (Frederick, MD). C57BL/6J (controls for CD14-deficient mice) and C57BL/10J mice (controls for C57BL/10ScNCR mice) were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME). Four days after the injection of 3 ml/mouse of 3% sterile fluid thioglycollate i.p., peritoneal exudate macrophages were extracted by lavage with 0.9% saline, pelleted by centrifugation, and resuspended in RPMI 1640 containing 2% FCS, 2 mM glutamine, 30 mM HEPES, 0.3% NaHCO3, 100 IU/ml penicillin, and 100 µg/ml streptomycin. For generation of RNA and cytoplasmic extracts, 6.5 x 106 cells were plated onto each well of a six-well tissue culture plate, incubated overnight, and treated as indicated in a total volume of 2.6 ml.
Reagents
Highly purified, phenol-water-extracted Escherichia
coli K235 LPS (<0.008% protein) was prepared according to the
method of McIntire et al. (41). Taxol was obtained from
the Drug Synthesis and Chemistry Branch, National Cancer Institute
(National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD). Taxol was solubilized in
DMSO to form a 20-mM stock, and working dilutions of Taxol were
prepared by dilution of the stock with supplemented RPMI 1640. Rabbit
polyclonal anti-phospho-extracellular signal-related kinase
(ERK)-1/2 and anti-phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-1/2 Abs
were purchased from Promega (Madison, WI). Rabbit polyclonal
anti-phospho-p38 MAPK Ab was purchased from New England Biolabs
(Beverly, MA). Rabbit polyclonal anti-COX-2 Ab was obtained from
Cayman Chemical (Ann Arbor, MI). Rabbit polyclonal
anti-I
B-
/MAD-3 and anti-p38 (total-p38) Abs were obtained
from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA). Mouse monoclonal
anti-ERK-1 and -ERK-2 Ab (total ERK) was purchased from Zymed
(South San Francisco, CA).
Isolation of total cellular RNA and RT-PCR
Total cellular RNA was extracted and reverse transcribed as detailed elsewhere (23). PCR amplifications were performed on the resultant cDNA for the gene of interest as described previously. The sequences of the specific primers and probes used in the detection of IL-12 p35, IP-10, ICSBP, and hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) have been detailed elsewhere (23, 42, 43, 44). The expression of HPRT was included as a housekeeping gene to control for differences in cDNA for each treatment during the amplification reaction. The sequences of the specific primers used in the detection of COX-2 and IL-12 p40 are as follows: COX-2 sense, 5'-GCAAATCCTTGCTGTTCCAATC-3'; COX-2 antisense, 5'-GGAGAAGGCTTCCCAGCTTTTG-3'; IL-12 p40 sense, 5'-ATCGTTTTGCTGGTGTCTCC-3'; IL-12 p40 antisense, 5'-AGTCCCTTTGGT CCAGTGTG-3'. PCR amplification products were electrophoresed on a 1% agarose gel and blotted overnight onto a Nytran membrane. The DNA was then UV cross-linked onto the membrane and baked at 80°C for 2 h. The amplified PCR products were detected by gene-specific oligonucleotide probes labeled with the Amersham 3-oligolabeling and detection systems (Amersham, Buckinghamshire, U.K.). The sequences of the gene-specific probes used in the detection of COX-2 and IL-12 p40 are as follows: COX-2 probe, 5'-CCCACTTCAAGGGAGTCTGGAACA-3'; IL-12 p40 probes, 5'-CGTGCTCATGGCTGGTGCAAA-3' and 5'-AGCAGTAGCAGTTCCCCTGA-3'.
SDS-PAGE and Western analysis
Cytoplasmic extracts of macrophages were prepared following treatment with either LPS or Taxol for the required times as described elsewhere (45). Proteins were then resolved on 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gels, transferred onto polyvinylidene fluoride membranes, and immunoblotted with specific Abs raised against the proteins of interest. Specific proteins were then detected by enhanced chemiluminescence. Certain membranes were reblotted after removal of the first Ab or stained with Ponceau S (Sigma Diagnostics, St. Louis, MO) to ensure equal protein loading in all lanes.
DNA-protein interactions and EMSA
Nuclear extracts of macrophages were generated following
treatment with either LPS or Taxol, and specific DNA-protein
interactions were determined with 32P-labeled,
double-stranded oligonucleotides that contain a canonical NF-
B site
as described previously (25).
| Results |
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We previously reported that CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages
treated with LPS or Taxol exhibited a striking deficiency in their
capacity to elicit IL-12 p40 gene expression (27). To
delineate further the role of CD11b/CD18 in the mediation of LPS- and
Taxol-induced gene expression in macrophages, macrophages from
CD11b/CD18-deficient and control wild-type mice were treated with LPS
or Taxol, and the inducibility of COX-2, IL-12 p35, TNF-
, IP-10,
ICSBP, and HPRT steady-state mRNA was assessed by RT-PCR. As indicated
in Fig. 1
A, the induction of
COX-2 and IL-12 p35 mRNA was also diminished in CD11b/CD18-deficient
macrophages at all concentrations of Taxol and LPS examined, compared
with macrophages derived from background-matched, wild-type mice. In
contrast, the levels of TNF-
, IP-10, and ICSBP mRNA were induced
comparably in macrophages derived from wild-type and
CD11b/CD18-deficient mice. These results suggest that CD11b/CD18 plays
a role in the induction of COX-2, IL-12 p35, and IL-12 p40 genes by
both Taxol and LPS, whereas induction of TNF-
, IP-10, and ICSBP
genes is CD11b/CD18-independent.
|
We have previously shown that anti-Mac-1 Ab (which is
directed against the CD11b subunit) blocks LPS- and Taxol-induced IL-12
p70 protein production in normally LPS-responsive control macrophages
(27). These results were further extended by the finding
that CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages produced lower levels of
immunoreactive IL-12 p70 in response to both LPS and Taxol than control
macrophages (Table I
), consistent with
the finding that both IL-12 p40 and p35 gene expression were diminished
in LPS/Taxol-stimulated, CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages. To determine
whether the decrease in COX-2 mRNA observed in CD11b/CD18-deficient
macrophages would also result in a corresponding decrease in COX-2
protein levels, macrophages from CD11b/CD18-deficient and control
wild-type mice were treated with LPS or Taxol. Cytoplasmic extracts
were generated and then subjected to SDS-PAGE and Western analysis for
COX-2 protein. As shown in Fig. 1
B, there was considerably
less COX-2 protein produced by CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages when
compared with control macrophages in response to LPS and Taxol,
indicating the importance of CD11b/CD18 in both COX-2 mRNA and protein
production. The equivalence of total p38 protein detected on the same
blot indicates that this difference cannot be attributed to differences
in protein loading.
|
B nuclear translocation in CD11b/CD18-deficient
macrophages in response to LPS and Taxol
Previous reports have demonstrated a critical role for the
transcription factor NF-
B in LPS-induced COX-2, and IL-12 p40 mRNA
in macrophages (46, 47). Arguments for and against the
role of NF-
B in the induction of LPS-induced TNF-
have also been
presented (48, 49). Therefore, the activation of NF-
B,
as evidenced by its translocation to the nucleus, in response to LPS
and Taxol, were examined in CD11b/CD18-deficient and wild-type
macrophages. Macrophages were treated with LPS or Taxol, nuclear
extracts were generated, and EMSA for NF-
B was performed. Nuclear
translocation of NF-
B was markedly less in CD11b/CD18-deficient
macrophages when compared with control macrophages in response to both
LPS and Taxol (Fig. 2
), a finding that
was confirmed by a concomitant mitigation of I
B-
degradation in
cytoplasmic extracts (data not shown). Therefore, the observed
diminution of COX-2 and IL-12 p40 gene expression in LPS- or
Taxol-stimulated CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages may result from
dysregulated signaling leading to diminished translocation of NF-
B
to the nucleus.
|
A recent study by Lu et al. (50) reported that LPS
stimulation of macrophages from MAPK kinase 3-deficient mice resulted
in defective IL-12 p40 and IL-12 p35 mRNA, and IL-12 protein
production, indicating a requirement for p38 MAPK in the production of
IL-12. In another study, Scherle et al. (51) implicated a
role for ERK-1 in the generation of COX-2 mRNA in human monocytes in
response to LPS, whereas Moos et al. (52) reported that
Taxol-induced COX-2 was also p38 dependent. Therefore, we investigated
the possibility that the diminished levels of COX-2, IL-12 p35, and
IL-12 p40 mRNA in CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages in response to LPS
or Taxol might be related to a decrease in MAPK phosphorylation.
Macrophages from both CD11b/CD18-deficient and wild-type mice were
treated with LPS or Taxol, and cytoplasmic extracts were analyzed for
the presence of phosphorylated forms of MAPKs, e.g., p38, JNK-1, JNK-2,
ERK-1, and ERK-2. As illustrated in Fig. 3
A, there was marked reduction
in the levels of phosphorylation of all isoforms of the three
subfamilies MAPKs examined in the CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages in
response to Taxol, in comparison to wild-type macrophages. The observed
decrease in phosphorylation of p38 and ERK-1/2 in response to Taxol in
CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages was seen at all time points
examined (Fig. 3
B). These results suggest that activation of
MAPKs may play a role in the induction of COX-2, IL-12 p35, and IL-12
p40 mRNA in response to Taxol as a result of its interaction with
CD11b/CD18. Interestingly, only a slight decrease in phosphorylated p38
was observed in CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages in response to LPS
when compared with wild-type macrophages, and no detectable alteration
in levels of phospho-JNK or phospho-ERK were detected in LPS-stimulated
CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages.
|
That steady-state levels of COX-2, IL-12 p35, and IL-12 p40
genes were diminished, but not totally ablated, in CD11b/CD18-deficient
macrophages upon LPS and Taxol treatment, suggests that CD11b/CD18 acts
in concert with other LPS receptors to elicit optimal gene expression.
Previous studies have indicated an interaction between GPI-linked
proteins and CD11b/CD18, and more recently, the transient association
of CD11b/CD18 with CD14 following addition of LPS to cells was
demonstrated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy (Ref.
53 ; reviewed in Ref. 54). Although a major
role for CD14 as a receptor for LPS-induced gene expression has been
well documented (reviewed in Ref. 55), previous studies
have demonstrated a strong CD14 dependence at low concentrations of
LPS, but a lesser CD14 dependence for Taxol in the induction of
TNF-
, IL-1
, and IP-10 genes in macrophages derived from CD14
knockout mice (26). Therefore, the involvement of CD14 as
a coreceptor in the expression of COX-2, IL-12 p35, IL-12 p40, and
ICSBP genes by LPS and Taxol was next examined in CD14-deficient and
control macrophages. The results in Fig. 4
illustrate that in the absence of
membrane-associated CD14 there is no detectable COX-2, IL-12 p35, and
IL-12 p40 gene expression in response to low concentrations of LPS,
whereas the induction of these same genes is CD14 independent at high
concentrations of LPS. In addition, mitigated mRNA expression for these
genes was observed at low concentrations of Taxol. These results
indicate that, like TNF-
and IL-1
(26), CD14 is
essential for the induction of COX-2, IL-12 p35, and IL-12 p40 genes by
low concentrations of LPS and Taxol, but not at high concentrations. In
contrast, induction of ICSBP mRNA was CD14 dependent even at the
highest concentrations of LPS and Taxol (Fig. 4
), similar to the
pattern of gene expression described previously for IP-10
(26).
|
We have previously reported that CD14-deficient macrophages
treated with low and high concentrations of LPS induced nuclear
translocation of negligible amounts of the proinflammatory
transcription factor NF-
B in comparison with control macrophages
(26). Therefore, activation of proinflammatory
intracellular signaling cascades, the MAPKs, was also examined.
Macrophages from both CD14-deficient and control mice were treated with
LPS or Taxol, and cytoplasmic extracts were analyzed for the presence
of phosphorylated forms of MAPKs: p38, JNK-1, JNK-2, ERK-1, and ERK-2.
As shown in Fig. 5
, CD14-deficient
macrophages treated with low and high concentrations of LPS or Taxol
induced very little phosphorylation of all isoforms of the three
subfamilies of MAPKs when compared with control macrophages.
|
, IP-10, and ICSBP is TLR4 dependent
The importance of TLR4 in LPS-mediated signaling was recently
established by the identification of TLR4 as the product of the
Lps gene (11, 12). Previous studies from our
laboratory have also shown that TLR4-defective C3H/HeJ macrophages are
completely refractory to high concentrations of highly purified LPS, as
measured at the level of gene expression or MAPK activation
(56). To examine further the role of TLR4 in LPS- and
Taxol-mediated expression of COX-2, IL-12 p35, IL-12 p40, TNF-
,
IP-10, and ICSBP genes, the expression of these genes was next examined
in C57BL/10ScNCR and in TLR4 knockout macrophages. The C57BL/10ScNCR
strain is the predecessor of the LPS-unresponsive C57BL/10ScCR strain
(57) and also carries a deletion mutation in the
tlr4 gene (12). As illustrated in Fig. 6
A, none of the genes examined
was induced in the C57BL/10ScNCR macrophages when compared with control
C57BL/10J macrophages in response to LPS or Taxol, indicating an
absolute requirement for TLR4 for the induction of the entire panel of
genes by both LPS and Taxol. These results were further confirmed in
macrophages derived from TLR4 knockout mice (Fig. 6
B).
|
| Discussion |
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2 integrins are a family of
obligate heterodimeric glycoproteins expressed on leukocytes as a
95-kDa CD18
subunit noncovalently associated with one of three
subunits, e.g., CD11a (LFA-1), CD11b (Mac-1, CR3), or CD11c (CR4)
(reviewed in Ref. 54). Although all three types of
2 integrins are detectable on macrophages,
macrophages express CD11b/CD18 heterodimers predominantly. The
CD11/CD18 integrins were originally identified as LPS receptors in
studies that demonstrated binding of Gram-negative bacteria and
LPS-coated erythrocytes to these receptors on human macrophages
(28). Subsequent studies performed on monocytes and
macrophages derived from CD18-deficient patients found normal levels of
TNF-
and IL-1
and led to the conclusion that CD18 is not
essential for cellular responses to LPS (58). Murine CD18
was more recently identified as a Taxol binding and signaling receptor
by using a photoaffinity-labeled Taxol analog as a probe
(27). The data in this report indicate that although
CD11b/CD18 may not be necessary for the LPS- or Taxol-inducible
expression of cytokines such as TNF-
, which is typically used to
quantify cellular responses to LPS, CD11b/CD18 plays a significant role
in the optimal production of COX-2, IL-12 p35, and IL-12 p40 genes. The
correlative findings that both MAPK and NF-
B activation are
dysregulated in CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1)-deficient macrophages strengthen the
importance of these pathways in the optimal induction of a subset of
LPS-inducible genes. As summarized in Table II
mRNA requires only the presence of both CD14 and TLR4 at low
levels of LPS or Taxol, whereas the induction of ICSBP and IP-10 mRNA
requires both CD14 and TLR4 even at higher concentrations of LPS and
Taxol. Although a physical interaction between CD14 and TLR4 in
response to LPS has not yet been reported, a recent study by Yang et
al. (16) demonstrated an association between transiently
expressed CD14 and TLR2 in the absence of LPS and, upon LPS
stimulation, in 293 cells. A transient association of CD14 with
CD11b/CD18 has also been reported in response to LPS in neutrophils
(53). Interestingly, of all the genes evaluated, ICSBP was
found to be most CD14 dependent, as evidenced by its failure to be
induced in CD14 knockout macrophages by extremely high concentrations
of either Taxol or LPS, a finding previously observed for IP-10
(26). Therefore, there must be additional signals required
for these two genes that are only generated in the presence of CD14.
This also implies that TLR4 is necessary, but not sufficient, to induce
the full panel of LPS-induced genes.
|
Because cellular CD14 lacks signaling transmembrane and cytoplasmic
regions and both GPI-anchored and integral membrane forms of CD14
mediate identical cellular responses to LPS (7, 8), it is
likely that CD14 functions by binding LPS with high affinity and
interacts with signal transducing receptors. Such a signaling role has
been ascribed to several members of the TLR family because treatment of
monocytic cells and cells engineered to express TLR2 and TLR4 with LPS
have been reported to result in the activation of NF-
B by mechanisms
that involve shared components of the IL-1 receptor signaling pathway,
including MyD88, IRAK kinases, and TNFR-associated factor 6 (15, 16, 60). The importance of this pathway in LPS signaling has
been corroborated by the absence of both IL-1 receptor-associated
kinase and NF-
B activation in TLR4-deficient mice in response to LPS
and, conversely, LPS unresponsiveness in mice with targeted mutations
in MyD88 and TNFR-associated factor 6 genes (19, 61, 62).
In contrast to high affinity binding of LPS to CD14 (6),
Yang et al. (14) reported the binding of LPS to TLR2 to be
of low affinity. Further confirmation of a signaling role for TLR4 was
recently provided by Kawasaki et al. (63) who reported
that although the cytoplasmic region of the TLR4 was essential for LPS-
and Taxol-induced NF-
B activation, there was no demonstrable binding
of LPS or Taxol to either TLR4 or to its obligatory cofactor, MD-2.
Although our data support a role for CD14 in Taxol-mediated responses
in murine macrophages, the mechanism is unclear. Similar to the
aforementioned studies with TLR4, we were unable to demonstrate binding
of a photoaffinity Taxol analog to CD14 using either purified soluble
CD14 or isolated macrophage membrane preparations (27). It
is more likely that CD14 somehow facilitates an interaction between
Taxol-bound CD11b/CD18 and TLR4 that is necessary for induction of
signaling leading to NF-
B translocation. However, signaling through
TLR4 is necessary, but not sufficient, to elicit the entire panel of
LPS-/Taxol-inducible genes. Additional studies (reviewed in Ref.
64) suggest that the physical interaction of
2 integrins with GPI-linked proteins enables
signal transduction upon binding of ligand to the GPI-linked protein
through the activation of the G protein Rho, and the assemblage of an
intracellular platform that includes protein kinase C, protein tyrosine
kinases, and MAP kinases, components implicated in LPS signaling
(reviewed in Ref. 64). Thus, the observations that
LPS-induced NF-
B translocation (26) and MAPK activation
are strongly depressed in both CD14 knockout macrophages as well as in
CD11b/CD18-deficient macrophages (Fig. 2
), and are eliminated in TLR4
knockout (19) and TLR4-defective C3H/HeJ macrophages
(22, 25, 56), suggest that these three receptors work in
concert to elicit optimal gene expression.
The model proposed in Fig. 7
illustrates
this hypothetical interaction after ligand binding. Consistent with the
reported interaction of CD14 and CD11b/CD18 following LPS treatment of
cells (53), the LPS receptor complex, like the TCR
complex, is undoubtedly comprised of additional signaling elements that
are recruited to the complex upon appropriate ligand engagement. Among
the other potential molecules that are likely to be recruited and
participate in optimal signaling for gene expression, small G proteins
(reviewed in Ref. 65), heat shock protein 90
(66), and others have been implicated in LPS- and/or
Taxol-induced macrophage activation. The role of CD11b/CD18 might be
analogous to that of CD14, where CD11b/CD18 functions to bind Taxol
(via CD18) and LPS, whereas associated TLR4 molecules function as
signal transducing receptors. Direct evidence for a ligand binding role
for CD11b/CD18 in LPS signaling was first provided by Ingalls et al.
(67) who determined that Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell
transfectants that expressed mutant forms of CD11b/CD18 receptors with
largely truncated cytoplasmic domains were still capable of eliciting
an NF-
B-mediated response to LPS. Thus, it is likely that other
receptors present on CHO cells, such as TLR4, are responsible for the
signal transmission because CHO cells lack functional TLR2 molecules
(68). The fact that the presence of CD11b/CD18 cannot
fully compensate for the absence of CD14 in primary macrophages, as
evidenced by the qualitative and quantitative differences in gene
expression exhibited by macrophages from CD14-deficient mice,
particularly at low concentrations of LPS, suggests that the affinities
of the two receptors for LPS may differ significantly. It is also
noteworthy that at high concentrations of LPS there is markedly reduced
activation of signaling molecules, NF-
B (26), and MAPKs
in CD14-deficient macrophages despite high levels of gene expression,
suggesting that there is compensation by other receptors like
CD11b/CD18 or TLRs.
|
| Acknowledgments |
|---|
| Footnotes |
|---|
2 The opinions or assertions contained within are the private views of the authors and should not be construed as official or necessarily reflecting the views of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or Department of Defense. ![]()
3 Research was conducted according to the principles set forth in Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Research Council Publication 85-23 (National Institutes of Health). ![]()
4 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Stefanie N. Vogel, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4788. ![]()
5 Abbreviations used in this paper: TLR, Toll-like receptor; COX-2, cyclooxygenase 2; IP-10, IFN-inducible protein-10; ICSBP, IFN consensus sequence binding protein; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase; ERK, extracellular signal-related kinase; JNK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase; HPRT, hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase; CHO, Chinese hamster ovary. ![]()
Received for publication June 9, 2000. Accepted for publication October 9, 2000.
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