Project description:Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is one of the most important infectious diseases of poultry around the world. Gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) are the first line of defense of the host against the infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of innate immune antiviral signaling triggered by Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), as well as macrophage activation and cytokine response in the intestinal lamina propria (ILP) cells after the oral challenge of IBDV in relation to IBDV virulence and disease pathogenesis. The results showed that the expression levels of TLR3, IRF7, IFN-α/β and the corresponding downstream antiviral factors OAS, PKR and Mx were all upregulated in the SPF chicken ILP cells at 8 h post-infection (hpi) and 12 hpi. Similarly, macrophages were activated, with the initial macrophage M1 activation observed at 8 hpi, but then it rapidly shifted to a non-protective M2-type. Both Th1 (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-12) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-10) types of cytokines were differentially upregulated during the early stage of infection; however, the Th1 cytokines exhibited stronger activation before 8 hpi compared to those of the Th2 cytokines. Interestingly, differential regulations of gene expression induced by different IBDV strains with different virulence were detected. The HLJ0504-like very virulent (vv) IBDV strain NN1172 induced stronger activation of TLR3-IFN-α/β pathway, macrophages and the Th1/2 cytokines' expression, compared to those induced by the attenuated strain B87 at 8 hpi and 12 hpi in the ILP cells. In conclusion, the innate antiviral response mediated by the TLR3-IRF7 pathway, macrophage activation and cytokine expression in the GALT cells at the early stage of IBDV infection was differentially modulated, and the HLJ0504-like vvIBDV strain triggered stronger activation than the attenuated vaccine strain, and that may play an important role in the progression of disease.
Project description:The intestinal immune system is crucial for protection from pathogenic infection and maintenance of mucosal homeostasis. We studied the intestinal immune microenvironment in a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium intestinal infection mouse model. Intestinal lamina propria macrophages are the main effector cells in innate resistance to intracellular microbial pathogens. We found that S Typhimurium infection augmented Tim-3 expression on intestinal lamina propria CD4+ T cells and enhanced galectin-9 expression on F4/80+ CD11b+ macrophages. Moreover, CD4+ T cells promoted the activation and bactericidal activity of intestinal F4/80+ CD11b+ macrophages via the Tim-3/galectin-9 interaction during S Typhimurium infection. Blocking the Tim-3/galectin-9 interaction with α-lactose significantly attenuated the bactericidal activity of intracellular S Typhimurium by macrophages. Furthermore, the Tim-3/galectin-9 interaction promoted the formation and activation of inflammasomes, which led to caspase-1 cleavage and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) secretion. The secretion of active IL-1β further improved bactericidal activity of macrophages and galectin-9 expression on macrophages. These results demonstrated the critical role of the cross talk between CD4+ T cells and macrophages, particularly the Tim-3/galectin-9 interaction, in antimicrobial immunity and the control of intestinal pathogenic infections.
Project description:Epithelial Hedgehog (Hh) ligands regulate several aspects of fetal intestinal organogenesis, and emerging data implicate the Hh pathway in inflammatory signaling in the adult colon. Here, we investigated the effects of chronic Hh inhibition in vivo and profiled molecular pathways acutely modulated by Hh signaling in the intestinal mesenchyme.The progression of inflammatory disease was characterized in a bi-transgenic mouse model of chronic Hh inhibition (VFHhip). In parallel, microarray and bioinformatic analyses (Gene Ontology terms overrepresentation analysis, hierarchical clustering, and MeSH term filtration) were performed on isolated cultured intestinal mesenchyme acutely exposed to Hh ligand.Six- to 10-month-old VFHhip animals exhibited villus smooth muscle loss and subsequent villus atrophy. Areas of villus loss became complicated by spontaneous inflammation and VFHhip animals succumbed to wasting and death. Phenotypic similarities were noted between the VFHhip phenotype and human inflammatory disorders, especially human celiac disease. Microarray analysis revealed that inflammatory pathways were acutely activated in intestinal mesenchyme cultured in the absence of epithelium, and the addition of Hh ligand alone was sufficient to largely reverse this inflammatory response within 24 hours.Hh ligand is a previously unrecognized anti-inflammatory epithelial modulator of the mesenchymal inflammatory milieu. Acute modulation of Hh signals results in changes in inflammatory pathways in intestinal mesenchyme, while chronic inhibition of Hh signaling in adult animals leads to spontaneous intestinal inflammation and death. Regulation of epithelial Hh signaling may be an important mechanism to modulate tolerogenic versus proinflammatory signaling in the small intestine.
Project description:Background & aimsIntestinal lymphoepithelial interactions occur in the epithelium and the subepithelial space. We asked whether normal, Crohn's disease (CD), or ulcerative colitis (UC) lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL) could promote intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) growth and differentiation.MethodsT84 cells were cocultured with isolated LPL. IECs were then lysed and subjected to measurement of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) activity; Western blot analysis for MAPK and Akt activation; and real-time polymerase chain reaction to assess caudal-related homeoprotein 2 (CDX2) messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. Tissue sections were immunostained for evidence of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation, CDX2, and IAP; and CDX2 mRNA expression was assessed in human colonic biopsy specimens.ResultsIAP activity was increased in T84 cells cocultured for 8 days with normal LPL (P < .05) and even greater with CD LPL (P < .001). Crypt IECs in active CD mucosa expressed IAP ex vivo. Phospho-MAPK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38, and c-Jun-N-terminal kinase) and phospho-Akt were seen as early as 30 minutes after coculture. MAPK activation was greatest in T84 cells cocultured with CD LPL. There was a specific increase in Phospho-p38 MAPK and Phospho-Akt staining in the nuclei of crypt IECs in active vs inactive CD, normal mucosa, and UC mucosa. CDX2 mRNA expression was increased in CD LPL cocultured T84 cells, which did not correlate with CDX2 protein localization ex vivo.ConclusionsThere is cross talk between LPL and IECs, which leads to IEC differentiation. The differentiation is accelerated in CD mucosa.
Project description:The ability of Salmonella typhimurium to enter intestinal epithelial cells constitutes a crucial step in pathogenesis. Salmonella invasion of the intestinal epithelium requires bacterial type three secretion system. Type three secretion system is a transport device that injects virulence proteins, called effectors, to paralyze or reprogram the eukaryotic cells. Avirulence factor for Salmonella (AvrA) is a Salmonella effector that inhibits the host's inflammatory responses. The mechanism by which AvrA modulates host cell signaling is not entirely clear. p53 is situated at the crossroads of a network of signaling pathways that are essential for genotoxic and nongenotoxic stress responses. We hypothesized that Salmonella infection activates the p53 pathway. We demonstrated that Salmonella infection increased p53 acetylation. Cells infected with AvrA-sufficient Salmonella have increased p53 acetylation, whereas cells infected with AvrA-deficient Salmonella have less p53 acetylation. In a cell-free system, AvrA possessed acetyltransferase activity and used p53 as a substrate. AvrA expression increased p53 transcriptional activity and induced cell cycle arrest. HCT116 p53-/- cells had less inflammatory responses. In a mouse model of Salmonella infection, intestinal epithelial p53 acetylation was increased by AvrA expression. Our studies provide novel mechanistic evidence that Salmonella modulates the p53 pathway during intestinal inflammation and infection.
Project description:Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in the lamina propria of the small intestine (siLP) are essential for maintaining intestinal immune homeostasis; however, their isolation remains challenging. Here, we present a protocol for the rapid isolation of siLP ILCs. We describe steps for small intestine collection and trimming, epithelial cell dissociation, lamina propria digestion, and ILC analysis by flow cytometry. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Zheng et al.1.
Project description:Recognition of conserved bacterial products by innate immune receptors leads to inflammatory responses that control pathogen spread but that can also result in pathology. Intestinal epithelial cells are exposed to bacterial products and therefore must prevent signaling through innate immune receptors to avoid pathology. However, enteric pathogens are able to stimulate intestinal inflammation. We show here that the enteric pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium can stimulate innate immune responses in cultured epithelial cells by mechanisms that do not involve receptors of the innate immune system. Instead, S. Typhimurium stimulates these responses by delivering through its type III secretion system the bacterial effector proteins SopE, SopE2, and SopB, which in a redundant fashion stimulate Rho-family GTPases leading to the activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and NF-kappaB signaling. These observations have implications for the understanding of the mechanisms by which Salmonella Typhimurium induces intestinal inflammation as well as other intestinal inflammatory pathologies.
Project description:Multiple mechanisms exist in regulation of host responses to massive challenges from microbiota to maintain immune homeostasis in the intestines. Among these is the enriched Th17 cells in the intestines, which regulates intestinal homeostasis through induction of antimicrobial peptides and secretory IgA among others. However, the means by which Th17 cells develop in response to microbiota is still not completely understood. Although both TLR5 and CD172α(+) lamina propria dendritic cells (LPDC) have been shown to promote Th17 cell development, it is still unclear whether TLR5 mediates the CD172α(+)LPDC induction of Th17 cells. By using a microbiota antigen-specific T cell reporter mouse system, we demonstrated that microbiota antigen-specific T cells developed into Th17 cells in the intestinal LP, but not in the spleen when transferred into TCRβxδ(-/-) mice. LPDCs expressed high levels of TLR5, and most CD172α(+)LPDCs also co-expressed TLR5. LPDCs produced high levels of IL-23, IL-6 and TGFβ when stimulated with commensal flagellin and promoted Th17 cell development when cultured with full-length CBir1 flagellin but not CBir1 peptide. Wild-type CD172α(+), but not CD172α(-), LPDCs induced Th17 cells, whereas TLR5-deficient LPDC did not induce Th17 cells. Our data thereby demonstrated that TLR5 mediates CD172α(+)LPDC induction of Th17 cells in the intestines.
Project description:Oral infection of C57BL/6 mice with Toxoplasma gondii triggers severe necrosis in the ileum within 7-10 days of infection. Lesion development is mediated by Th-1 cytokines, CD4+ T cells, and subepithelial bacterial translocation. As such, these features share similarity to Crohn's disease. Recently, we uncovered a role for intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) in mediating pathology after Toxoplasma infection. We show here that ?? and not ?? T-cell IELs mediate intestinal damage. By adoptive transfer of mucosal T cells into naive Rag1?/? mice, we demonstrate that IELs do not function alone to cause inflammatory lesions, but act with CD4+ T lymphocytes from the lamina propria (LP). Furthermore, recipient mice pretreated with broad-spectrum antibiotics to eliminate intestinal flora resisted intestinal disease after transfer of IELs and LP lymphocytes. Our data provide valuable new insights into the mechanisms of intestinal inflammation, findings that have important implications for understanding human inflammatory bowel disease.
Project description:Dendritic cells (DCs) have been shown to play a major role in oral tolerance, and this function has been associated with their ability to produce anti-inflammatory cytokines and to induce suppressive regulatory T cells. In this study, we demonstrate that upon oral administration of Ag, lamina propia (LP) DCs engage specific T cells and acquire a novel mechanism by which they transfer tolerance against diverse T cell specificities. Indeed, when Ig-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) carrying the MOG(35-55) epitope was orally administered into either T cell-sufficient or -deficient mice, only the T cell-sufficient hosts yielded CD8?(+) and CD8?(-) LP DCs that were able to transfer tolerance to a variety of MHC class II-restricted effector T cells. Surprisingly, these LP DCs upregulated programmed cell death ligand 1 during the initial interaction with MOG-specific T cells and used this inhibitory molecule to suppress activation of T cells regardless of Ag specificity. Furthermore, oral Ig-MOG was able to overcome experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced with CNS homogenate, indicating that the DCs are able to modulate disease involving diverse T cell specificities. This previously unrecognized attribute potentiates DCs against autoimmunity.