Mitochondrial C5aR1 activity in macrophages controls IL-1β production underlying sterile inflammation
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ABSTRACT: While serum-circulating complement destroys invading pathogens, intracellularly active complement, termed the ‘complosome’, functions as a vital orchestrator of cell-metabolic events underlying T cell effector responses. Whether intracellular complement is also non-redundant for the activity of myeloid immune cells is currently unknown. Here, we show that monocytes and macrophages constitutively express complement component (C) 5 and can generate autocrine C5a via formation of an intracellular C5 convertase. Further, cholesterol crystal-sensing by macrophages induces C5aR1 signaling on mitochondrial membranes, which shifts ATP production via reverse electron chain flux towards reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and anaerobic glycolysis to favor IL-1β production. Consequently, atherosclerosis-prone mice lacking macrophage-specific C5ar1 had ameliorated cardiovascular disease on a high-cholesterol diet. Conversely, inflammatory gene signatures and IL-1β produced by cells in unstable atherosclerotic plaques of patients were normalized by a specific cell-permeable C5aR1 antagonist. Deficiency of the macrophage cell autonomous C5 system also protected mice from crystal nephropathy mediated by folic acid. These data demonstrate unexpected intracellular formation of a C5 convertase and identify C5aR1 as a direct modulator of mitochondrial function and inflammatory output from myeloid cells. Together, these findings suggest that the complosome is a novel contributor to the biologic processes underlying sterile inflammation and indicate that targeting this system could be beneficial in macrophage-dependent diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
Project description:While serum-circulating complement destroys invading pathogens, intracellularly active complement, termed the ‘complosome’, functions as a vital orchestrator of cell-metabolic events underlying T cell effector responses. Whether intracellular complement is also non-redundant for the activity of myeloid immune cells is currently unknown. Here, we show that monocytes and macrophages constitutively express complement component (C) 5 and can generate autocrine C5a via formation of an intracellular C5 convertase. Further, cholesterol crystal-sensing by macrophages induces C5aR1 signaling on mitochondrial membranes, which shifts ATP production via reverse electron chain flux towards reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and anaerobic glycolysis to favor IL-1 production. Consequently, atherosclerosis-prone mice lacking macrophage-specific C5ar1 had ameliorated cardiovascular disease on a high-cholesterol diet. Conversely, inflammatory gene signatures and IL-1 produced by cells in unstable atherosclerotic plaques of patients were normalized by a specific cell-permeable C5aR1 antagonist. Deficiency of the macrophage cell autonomous C5 system also protected mice from crystal nephropathy mediated by folic acid. These data demonstrate unexpected intracellular formation of a C5 convertase and identify C5aR1 as a direct modulator of mitochondrial function and inflammatory output from myeloid cells. Together, these findings suggest that the complosome is a novel contributor to the biologic processes underlying sterile inflammation and indicate that targeting this system could be beneficial in macrophage-dependent diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
Project description:Systemic candidiasis is a common, high-mortality, nosocomial fungal infection. Unexpectedly, it has emerged as a complication of anti-complement C5-targeted monoclonal antibody treatment, indicating a critical niche for C5 in antifungal immunity. We identified transcription of complement system genes as the top biological pathway induced in candidemic patients and as predictive of candidemia. Mechanistically, C5a-C5aR1 promoted fungal clearance and host survival in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis by stimulating phagocyte effector function and ERK- and AKT-dependent survival in infected tissues. C5ar1 ablation rewired macrophage metabolism downstream of mTOR, promoting their apoptosis and enhancing mortality through kidney injury. Besides hepatocyte-derived C5, local C5 produced intrinsically by phagocytes provided a key substrate for antifungal protection. Lower serum C5a concentrations or a C5 polymorphism that decreases leukocyte C5 expression correlated independently with poor patient outcomes. Thus, local, phagocyte-derived C5 production licenses phagocyte antimicrobial function and confers innate protection during systemic fungal infection.
Project description:Background: Chronic inflammation is an important driver in the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and atherosclerosis. The complement system, one of the first lines of defense in innate immunity, has been implicated in both diseases. However, the potential therapeutic value of complement inhibition in the ongoing disease remains unclear. Methods: After 20 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding, obese Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice were treated twice a week with an established anti-C5 antibody (BB5.1) or vehicle control. A separate group of mice was kept on a chow diet as a healthy reference. After 12 weeks of treatment, NASH was analyzed histopathologically, and genome-wide hepatic gene expression was analyzed by next-generation sequencing and pathway analysis. Atherosclerotic lesion area and severity were quantified histopathologically in the aortic roots. Results: Anti-C5 treatment considerably reduced complement system activity in plasma and MAC deposition in the liver but did not affect NASH. Anti-C5 did, however, reduce the development of atherosclerosis, limiting the total lesion size and severity independently of an effect on plasma cholesterol but with reductions in oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Conclusion: We show, for the first time, that treatment with an anti-C5 antibody in advanced stages of NASH is not sufficient to reduce the disease, while therapeutic intervention against established atherosclerosis is beneficial to limit further progression.
Project description:The complement system is part of the innate immune system that works to clear pathogens and cellular debris. In the central nervous system (CNS) complement activation can promote synaptic pruning clearance of neuronal blebs recruitment of phagocytes and protection from pathogens. However in a neuropathologic environment complement activation may contribute to inflammatory pathways neuronal dysfunction and in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain cognitive decline. If complement activation proceeds to the cleavage of C5 and thus generation of C5a engagement of C5a with the receptor C5aR1 can instigate a feed-forward loop of inflammation injury and neuronal death thus making this molecule a potential target for modulation in AD therapeutics. The Arctic (Arc) AD mouse model known to rapidly accumulate fibrillar amyloid plaques was crossed to a model that lacks the receptor for C5a (ArcC5aR1KO) or to a transgenic mouse that generates C5a under the GFAP promoter (ArcC5a+). ArcticC5a+ mice showed accelerated loss of spatial memory compared to Arc mice. While eliminating C5aR1 did not alter amyloid plaque accumulation in this AD model C5aR1KO delayed or prevented the expression of important AD-associated genes in the hippocampus indicating a separation between those genes induced by amyloid plaques and those influenced by C5a-C5aR1 signaling. C5ar1 deletion also reduced/delayed the expression of select pan-reactive and A1 reactive astrocyte genes. ArcC5aR1KO showed delayed expression of genes enriched for biological processes that are significant in the AD context such as regulation of inflammatory signaling microglial cell activation astrocyte migration and lysosome pathway. Interestingly overexpression of C5a also delayed the increase of some AD- complement and astrocyte-associated genes perhaps mediated by C5aR2 and emphasizing the importance of selectively suppressing C5aR1. Immunohistochemical investigation further confirmed that modulation of C5a-C5aR1 either delayed or reduced some reactive microglial markers in the Arc hippocampus including CD11b and CD11c. These results suggest that C5a-C5aR1 signaling in the context of AD largely exerts its effects by suppressing those microglial activation pathways that accelerate disease enhancing pathways. Given the highly focused modulation of a common driver of neurotoxicity pharmacological inhibition of this C5aR1 signaling pathway is a promising therapeutic strategy to treat AD.
Project description:Atherosclerosis is the preliminary cause of coronary artery disease, one of the diseases that ac-count for the largest number of fatal mortalities. Physical activity is an effective strategy to restrain atherosclerosis from deterioration. Evidence indicated that the changes of proteomic profile is highly associated with the atherosclerosis development, but the mechanism behind the exercise for atherosclerosis amelioration has not yet been investigated from the proteomics perspective. Hence, the proteomic profiles could further elucidate the systematic effects of exercise interven-tion on ApoE knockout atherosclerotic model and high fat diet intervention. In current study, Apoeem1Narl/Narl mice were randomly allocated into a normal diet (ND), western diet (WD) and WD with 12 weeks exercise intervention (WD EX) groups. The plasm proteome between WD and WD EX demonstrate the significant difference, and ten major pathways, including cardiovascular disease (CVD)–hematological disease, cellular compromise–inflammatory response, protein synthesis, connective tissue disorders, cellular movement–immune cell tracking, inflammatory response, etc., were generated by the IPA analysis. The fourteen proteins (PROS, PROZ, C2, F5, C5, SERPINA 10, FGB, FGG, CFB, F12, CRP, CFHR1, HABP2, and PPIA) critically involved in CVD–hematological disease pathway showed significant difference among groups. The PROS, F5, C5, FGG, and CFB levels associated with thrombosis and atherosclerosis induced by WD were significantly decreased by exercise intervention in WD EX. Furthermore, the F5 and FGG were well-demonstrated the important roles for thrombosis of atherosclerotic pathogenesis but the complement factor C5 in the development of atherosclerosis is not fully understood. In current study, the exercise could significantly alleviate the significantly elevated C5 and inflammation induced by WD group in accordance to amelioration of atherosclerosis. Therefore, exercise could mitigate chemotaxis through the modulation of the C5 level and innate immunity, thereby alle-viating the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in western-diet induced obese mice.
Project description:The anaphylatoxin C5a is a potent mediator of innate immunity and promotes inflammation via its receptor C5aR1 upon complement system activation danger-associated molecular patterns. Both C5a and C5aR1 are thought to be contributing factors in inflammatory and infectious conditions of the bone. Bone fracture healing, for example, was significantly improved when applying a C5aR1-antagonist in a rodent model of severe systemic inflammation and osteoblasts were found to be target cells for C5a in this setting. Interestingly, osteoblasts up-regulate C5aR1 during osteogenic differentiation and after bone injury. Further, C5a induces inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, and the osteoclastogenic mediator RANKL in osteoblasts. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying C5a-C5aR1 signaling axis in osteoblasts remain unclear, and further targets of C5a are still elusive. Using microarray analysis, we analyzed intracellular events following C5aR1 activation in osteoblasts and defined up- or down-regulated genes and their belonging biological pathways.
Project description:Acute gastrointestinal infection with intracellular pathogens like Salmonella Typhimurium triggers the release of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1β (IL-1β). However, the role of IL-1β in intestinal defense against Salmonella remains unclear. Here, we show that IL-1b production is detrimental during Salmonella infection. Mice lacking IL-1b (IL-1b -/-) failed to recruit neutrophils to the gut during infection, which reduced tissue damage and prevented depletion of short-chain fatty acid-producing commensals. Changes in epithelial cell metabolism that typically support pathogen expansion, such as switching energy production from fatty acid oxidation to fermentation, were absent in infected IL-1b -/- mice which inhibited Salmonella expansion. Additionally, we found that IL-1b induces expression of complement anaphylatoxins and suppresses the complement-inactivator Carboxypeptidase N (CPN1). Disrupting this process via IL-1b loss prevented mortality in Salmonella-infected IL-1b -/- mice. Finally, we found that IL-1b expression correlates with expression of the complement receptor in patients suffering from sepsis, but not uninfected patients and healthy individuals. Thus, Salmonella exploits IL-1b signaling to outcompete commensal microbes and establish gut colonization. Moreover, our findings identify the intersection of IL-1b signaling and the complement system as key host factors involved in controlling mortality during invasive Salmonellosis.
Project description:Acute gastrointestinal infection with intracellular pathogens like Salmonella Typhimurium triggers the release of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1β (IL-1β). However, the role of IL-1β in intestinal defense against Salmonella remains unclear. Here, we show that IL-1b production is detrimental during Salmonella infection. Mice lacking IL-1b (IL-1b -/-) failed to recruit neutrophils to the gut during infection, which reduced tissue damage and prevented depletion of short-chain fatty acid-producing commensals. Changes in epithelial cell metabolism that typically support pathogen expansion, such as switching energy production from fatty acid oxidation to fermentation, were absent in infected IL-1b -/- mice which inhibited Salmonella expansion. Additionally, we found that IL-1b induces expression of complement anaphylatoxins and suppresses the complement-inactivator Carboxypeptidase N (CPN1). Disrupting this process via IL-1b loss prevented mortality in Salmonella-infected IL-1b -/- mice. Finally, we found that IL-1b expression correlates with expression of the complement receptor in patients suffering from sepsis, but not uninfected patients and healthy individuals. Thus, Salmonella exploits IL-1b signaling to outcompete commensal microbes and establish gut colonization. Moreover, our findings identify the intersection of IL-1b signaling and the complement system as key host factors involved in controlling mortality during invasive Salmonellosis.