Project description:Phagocytosis requires the activation of a plethora of mechanisms that include the activation of the actin cytoskeleton guided by the Arp2/3 complex. These are promoted by activators such as the Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome Protein (WASP) family members. In order to further understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the early events leading the phagocytosis of the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we set out to examine potential roles of miRNAs in phagocytosis using genome-wide expression profiling to identify miRNAs differentially regulated following mycobacterial infection. One of the miRNAs activated upon infection of mouse macrophages with the non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis, the widely conserved miR-142-3p, was predicted and confirmed to target the Neural-WASP (N-WASP). Upregulating of miR-142-3p in mouse macrophages inversely correlated with levels of N-WASP, upon infection with live pathogenic and non-pathogenic mycobacteria, suggesting an active role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on the regulation of phagocytosis, at the post-transcriptional level, in host cells. The reduction of N-WASP correlated with a reduced internalization of bacteria per macrophage, independently of the phagocytosis index. Furthermore, the downregulation of WASP levels accompanied those of N-WASP, at early but not at late time points, suggesting a closely regulatory mechanism among both family members, dependent on the time frame of the phagocytosis. Additionally, upregulating of miR-142-3p promoted the change in the protein levels of another predicted and confirmed target, the Cofilin2 protein, in a phagocytosis-independent fashion. Downregulation experiments promoted aberrant morphologic phenotypes in macrophages, similar to observed by others in PBMCs of humans with Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome, suggesting the strong involvement of miR-142-3p on the regulation of the actin machinery in macrophages. Altogether these results show for the first time that miRNAs are involved in the regulation of actin-mediated phagocytosis of pathogenic bacteria and that these are direct targets of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Expression analysis of mouse macrophage cell line J774A.1 in response to infection with Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 EGFP. Three biological replicates each for uninfected and infected samples.

Project description:The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 pathway is reported to regulate macrophage responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at least partly via the phosphorylation of the mRNA-destabilizing factor tristetraprolin (TTP). LPS-activated MAPK p38 phosphorylates and activates the downstream kinase MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), which then phosphorylates serines 52 and 178 of TTP, resulting in loss of mRNA-destabilizing activity. As a consequence, mRNAs that contain binding sites for TTP are stabilized in a manner that is acutely sensitive to the activity of the MAPK p38 pathway. Dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) dephosphorylates and inactivates MAPK p38. Dusp1-/- macrophages overexpress a number of pro-inflammatory mediators, but their genome-wide responses to LPS have not yet been described in detail. Dusp1-/- mice are exceptionally sensitive to a wide variety of inflammatory challenges, including experimental models of endotoxemia or sepsis. It has been suggested (but not yet proven) that DUSP1 controls the inflammatory response of macrophages in part via the regulation of MAPK p38 activity and TTP phosphorylation status. We generated a mouse knock-in strain, in which codons 52 and 178 of the endogenous Zfp36 gene (which encodes TTP) were mutated to alanine codons. The mutation gives rise to a constitutively active form of TTP, which cannot be inactivated via the p38 MAPK pathway. The Zfp36aa/aa strain was back-crossed against C57/BL6 for > 10 generations. We also generated a double-targeted strain in which the Zfp36 mutation was combined with disruption of the Dusp1 gene. This expression array describes LPS responses of primary mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages of four genotypes, and closely matched genetic background: wild type (Dusp1+/+ : Zfp36+/+); TTP mutant (Zfp36aa/aa); DUSP1 knock out (Dusp1-/-); and double targeted (Dusp1-/- : Zfp36aa/aa). The data provide a comprehensive picture of the impact of Dusp1 deletion or TTP mutation on the responses of primary macrophages to LPS. They also demonstrate that the excessive inflammatory responses of Dusp1-/- macrophages are largely a consequence of the phosphorylation and inactivation of TTP. Genome wide expression profiles of wild type, Dusp1-/-, Zfp36aa/aa and Dusp1-/-/Zfp36aa/aa M-CSF derived macrophages, stimulated with LPS for 1 or 4 hours

Project description:Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) induce severe inflammation in poultry and men. There is still an ongoing threat that these viruses may acquire the capability to freely spread as novel pandemic virus strains that may cause major morbidity and mortality. One characteristic of HPAIV infections is the induction of a cytokine burst that strongly contributes to viral pathogenicity. It has been suggested, that this cytokine overexpression is an intrinsic feature of infected cells and involves hyperinduction of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK). Here we investigate the role of MAPK p38 signaling in the antiviral response against HPAIV in mice as well as in endothelial cells, the latter a primary source for cytokines during systemic infections. Global gene expression profiling of HPAIV infected endothelial cells in the presence of the MAP kinase p38-specific inhibitor SB202190 revealed, that inhibition of MAPK p38 leads to reduced expression of interferon (IFN) and other cytokines after A/Thailand/1(KAN-1)/2004 (H5N1) and A/FPV/Bratislava/79 (H7N7) infection. Furthermore, the expression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) after treatment with IFN or conditioned media from HPAIV infected cells was decreased when the target cells were preincubated with SB202190. Finally, promoter analysis confirmed a direct impact of p38 MAPK on the IFN-enhanceosome and ISG-promoter activity. In vivo inhibition of MAP kinase p38 greatly diminishes virus induced cytokine expression concomitant with reduced viral titers, thereby protecting mice from lethal infection. These observations show, that MAPK p38 acts on two levels of the antiviral IFN response: Initially the kinase regulates IFN induction and at a later stage MAPK p38 controls IFN signaling and thereby expression of IFN-stimulated genes. Thus, inhibition of MAP kinase p38 may be an antiviral strategy that significantly protects mice from lethal influenza via suppression of overshooting cytokine expression. HUVEC were infected with FPV in the presence or absence of a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor

Project description:Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) induce severe inflammation in poultry and men. There is still an ongoing threat that these viruses may acquire the capability to freely spread as novel pandemic virus strains that may cause major morbidity and mortality. One characteristic of HPAIV infections is the induction of a cytokine burst that strongly contributes to viral pathogenicity. It has been suggested, that this cytokine overexpression is an intrinsic feature of infected cells and involves hyperinduction of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK). Here we investigate the role of MAPK p38 signaling in the antiviral response against HPAIV in mice as well as in endothelial cells, the latter a primary source for cytokines during systemic infections. Global gene expression profiling of HPAIV infected endothelial cells in the presence of the MAP kinase p38-specific inhibitor SB202190 revealed, that inhibition of MAPK p38 leads to reduced expression of interferon (IFN) and other cytokines after A/Thailand/1(KAN-1)/2004 (H5N1) and A/FPV/Bratislava/79 (H7N7) infection. Furthermore, the expression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) after treatment with IFN or conditioned media from HPAIV infected cells was decreased when the target cells were preincubated with SB202190. Finally, promoter analysis confirmed a direct impact of p38 MAPK on the IFN-enhanceosome and ISG-promoter activity. In vivo inhibition of MAP kinase p38 greatly diminishes virus induced cytokine expression concomitant with reduced viral titers, thereby protecting mice from lethal infection. These observations show, that MAPK p38 acts on two levels of the antiviral IFN response: Initially the kinase regulates IFN induction and at a later stage MAPK p38 controls IFN signaling and thereby expression of IFN-stimulated genes. Thus, inhibition of MAP kinase p38 may be an antiviral strategy that significantly protects mice from lethal influenza via suppression of overshooting cytokine expression.

Dataset Information

Transcriptome analysis of J774A.1 macrophages undergoing amino acid deprivation

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Phagocytosis of bacteria is enhanced in macrophages undergoing nutrient deprivation.

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