IkBNS-deficiency protects mice from Listeria monocytogenes infection by blunting pro-inflammatory signature in Ly6Chigh monocytes and preventing exaggerated innate immune responses [Liver monocytes]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: IkB proteins regulate the inhibition and activation of NF-kB transcription factor complexes. While classical IkB proteins keep NF-kB complexes inactive in the cytoplasm, atypical IkB proteins act on activated NF-kB complexes located in the nucleus. Most of the knowledge regarding the function of IkB proteins has been collected in vitro, while far less is known regarding their impact on activation and regulation of immune responses during in vivo infections. Combining in vivo Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) infection with comparative ex vivo transcriptional profiling of the hepatic response to the pathogen we observed that in contrast to wild type mice that mounted a robust inflammatory response, IkBNS-deficiency was generally associated with a transcriptional repression of innate immune responses. Whole tissue transcriptomics revealed a pronounced IkBNS-dependent (Nfkbid gene) reduction of myeloid cell-associated transcripts in the liver together with an exceptionally high Nfkbid promoter activity uncovered in Ly6C-high inflammatory monocytes prompted us to further characterized the specific contribution of IkBNS in the inflammatory response of monocytes to the infectious agent. Indeed, Ly6C-high monocytes primed during Lm infection in the absence of IkBNS displayed a blunted response compared to wild type-derived Ly6C-high monocytes as evidenced by the reduced early expression of hallmark transcripts of monocyte-driven inflammation such as Il-6, Nos2 and Il1-β. Strikingly, altered monocyte activation in IkBNS-deficient mice was associated with an exceptional resistance against Lm infection and protection was associated with a strong reduction in immunopathology in Lm target organs. Of note, mice lacking IkBNS exclusively in myeloid cells failed to resist Lm infection, indicating that the observed effect was not monocyte intrinsic but monocyte extrinsic. While serum cytokine-profiling did not discover obvious differences between wild type and IkBNS -/- mice for most of the analyzed mediators, IL-10 was virtually undetectable in IkBNS-deficient mice, both in the steady state and following Lm infection. Together, we show here a crucial role for IkBNS during Lm infection with IkBNS-deficient mice showing an overall blunted pro-inflammatory immune response attributed to a reduced pro-inflammatory signature in Ly6C-high monocytes. Reduced immunopathology and complete protection of mice against an otherwise lethal Lm infection identified IkBNS as molecular driver of inflammation in listeriosis.
Project description:IkB proteins regulate the inhibition and activation of NF-kB transcription factor complexes. While classical IkB proteins keep NF-kB complexes inactive in the cytoplasm, atypical IkB proteins act on activated NF-kB complexes located in the nucleus. Most of the knowledge regarding the function of IkB proteins has been collected in vitro, while far less is known regarding their impact on activation and regulation of immune responses during in vivo infections. Combining in vivo Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) infection with comparative ex vivo transcriptional profiling of the hepatic response to the pathogen we observed that in contrast to wild type mice that mounted a robust inflammatory response, IkBNS-deficiency (Nfkbid gene) was generally associated with a transcriptional repression of innate immune responses. Whole tissue transcriptomics revealed a pronounced IkBNS-dependent reduction of myeloid cell-associated transcripts in the liver together with an exceptionally high Nfkbid promoter activity uncovered in Ly6C-high inflammatory monocytes prompted us to further characterized the specific contribution of IkBNS in the inflammatory response of monocytes to the infectious agent. Indeed, Ly6C-high monocytes primed during Lm infection in the absence of IkBNS displayed a blunted response compared to wild type-derived Ly6C-high monocytes as evidenced by the reduced early expression of hallmark transcripts of monocyte-driven inflammation such as Il-6, Nos2 and Il1-β. Strikingly, altered monocyte activation in IkBNS-deficient mice was associated with an exceptional resistance against Lm infection and protection was associated with a strong reduction in immunopathology in Lm target organs. Of note, mice lacking IkBNS exclusively in myeloid cells failed to resist Lm infection, indicating that the observed effect was not monocyte intrinsic but monocyte extrinsic. While serum cytokine-profiling did not discover obvious differences between wild type and IkBNS -/- mice for most of the analyzed mediators, IL-10 was virtually undetectable in IkBNS-deficient mice, both in the steady state and following Lm infection. Together, we show here a crucial role for IkBNS during Lm infection with IkBNS-deficient mice showing an overall blunted pro-inflammatory immune response attributed to a reduced pro-inflammatory signature in Ly6C-high monocytes. Reduced immunopathology and complete protection of mice against an otherwise lethal Lm infection identified IkBNS as molecular driver of inflammation in listeriosis.
Project description:Ly6C+ ‘classical’ monocytes respond rapidly to inflammation, either directly as effector cells or by differentiating into inflammatory macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). In the absence of DC, elevated levels of serum Flt3L and G-CSF induce a monocytosis although the properties of this expanded population have not been addressed. Here, we show that depletion of DC using the CD11c-DTR model results in rapid and CCR2-independent expansion of a variant population of splenic MHC Class II+ CD64+ Ly6C+ monocytes that are distinct from both circulating blood Ly6C+ monocytes and their tissue counterparts, but resemble Ly6C+ cells mobilized by exogenous G-CSF and Flt3L. The CD64+ Ly6C+ monocyte population is characterized by up-regulation of TLR signalling apparatus and an increased capacity to produce TNF-a following stimulation. Therefore, perturbation within the mononuclear phagocytic system in the absence of inflammation induces an alternative differentiation pathway that drives expansion of monocytes poised for innate immune activation. Monocytes populations were purified from CD11c-DTR mice which were injected with PBS or diphtheria toxin 48 hours previously. Common monocyte progenitors (cMoP) were isolated from untreated C57BL/6 mice. 48 hours after injection of PBS or DT, monocytes were purified from the spleen after collagenase digestion and flow sorted directly into Qiagen RLT buffer. cMoP were purified directly from the bone marrow without digestion enzymes.
Project description:Objective: Monocytes are crucially involved in inflammatory processes. In mice, different subsets of monocytes can be distinguished by the expression of Ly6C, a surface marker that is highly expressed on inflammatory monocytes (Ly6C high) and to a lesser extent on patrolling monocytes (Ly6C low). Our previous study revealed an aggravated accumulation of inflammatory Ly6C high monocytes in atherosclerotic-prone mice bearing a deficiency in suppressor of cytokine signaling (Socs)-1. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide analysis of Socs-1-dependent gene regulation in Ly6C high and Ly6C low monocytes. Methods and Results: Monocyte subsets were isolated from socs-1+/+ rag2‒/‒ ldlr–/‒ and socs-1‒/‒ rag2‒/‒ ldlr-‒/‒ mice with subsequent identification of differential regulated genes using illumina MouseWG-6 v2.0 Expression BeadChip microarrays (45,200 transcripts). Principal component analysis illustrates a distinct separation of gene expression profiles in Ly6C high and especially Ly6C low monocytes from Socs-1 deficient mice. Additionally, microarray data revealed 46 genes to be differentially regulated in a Socs-1 dependent manner in both monocytic subsets by 2-fold or more, some of which were validated by qPCR (p<0.05, n=4-6). Among them, two principal regulators of monocyte differentiation, C-X3-C chemokine receptor 1 (Cx3cr1) and colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (Csf1r), were identified to be Socs-1 dependently regulated. Especially for Csf1r a co-expression network for correlating Socs-1 dependent gene expression and protein interaction could be compiled. Furthermore, in silico analysis of a transcription factor (TF) network correlating with Socs-1 dependent mRNA expression data revealed a cluster of TF that includes Nr4a1 as well as several ets-domain proteins that may interact and thus regulate gene expression, inter alia regression of Csf1r. Conclusion: By genome-wide analysis, we could identify Cx3cr1 and Csf1r as two essential receptors mediating monocyte differentiation that are subjected to Socs-1 dependent transcription factor regulation.
Project description:We performed a single-cell transcriptomic analysis of monocyte and monocyte progenitors by single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) using the C1 Fluidigm platform. We sorted BM cMoPs (Lin−CD117+CD115+CD135−Ly6C+), BM Ly6C+ monocytes (Lin−CD117-CD115+CD135−Ly6C+) and blood Ly6Chi monocytes (CD115+CD11b+Ly6Chi) from wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and generated transcriptional profiles for each individual cell (n = 38 for blood Ly6Chi monocytes, n = 66 for BM cMoPs, n = 57 for BM Ly6C+ monocytes).
Project description:To understand the mechanism underlying monocyte and dendritic cell development through the regulation of Irf8 expression by the 56 kb downstream (+56 kb) Irf8 enhancer, we performed epigenetic profiling of bone marrow cells and splenocytes from wild-type, the Irf8 +56 kb enhancer-deficient, and IRF8-deficient mice. Taken together with the transcriptome analysis of mononuclear phagocyte lineage cells in these mice, the Irf8 +56 kb enhancer-mediated high Irf8 expression in hematopoietic progenitor cells promote type 1 classical dendritic cell (cDC1) differentiation, while low Irf8 expression in progenitors led to Ly6C+ monocyte development. In addition, IRF8 ChIP-seq of mature cDC1s and monocytes suggested that IRF8 regulates enhancers in cooperation with different transcription factors in each lineage in its expression level.
Project description:We show that monocyte development is accompanied by stepwise RNA expression changes and that Ly6C+ monocytes upon transfer develop into Ly6C- monocytes indicated by a comparable expression profile to host Ly6C- monocytes
Project description:Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) kills up to 60% of infected newborns and adults >60 years of age but is asymptomic is most young adults. Monocytes are central to effective host defense against Lm. We hypothesize that age-dependent, pathway-specific differences in the ability of the monocyte to respond to Lm explain the increased risk of the newborn and older adult to severely suffer or die from Lm infection. To delineate age-dependent differences in innate responses that lead to differential infectious outcome, monocytes were isolated from cord blood (newborn) and peripheral blood (young and older adults) and infected with Lm. RNA was collected to determine age-dependent transcriptomic changes upon infection.
Project description:The adhesion and degranulation-promoting adaptor protein (ADAP) serves as a multifunctional scaffold and is involved in the formation of immune signaling complexes. To date only limited data exist regarding the role of ADAP in pathogen-specific immunity during in vivo infection and its contribution in phagocyte-mediated antibacterial immunity remains elusive. Here we show that mice lacking ADAP (ADAPko) are highly susceptible to the infection with the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) by showing enhanced immunopathology in infected tissues together with increased morbidity, mortality and excessive infiltration of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes. Despite high phagocyte numbers in spleen and liver, ADAPko mice only inefficiently controlled pathogen growth hinting at a functional impairment of infection-primed phagocytes in the ADAP-deficient host. Flow cytometric analysis of hallmark pro-inflammatory mediators and unbiased whole genome transcriptional profiling of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes uncovered broad molecular alterations in the inflammatory program in both phagocyte subsets following their activation in the ADAP-deficient host. Strikingly, ex vivo phagocytosis assay revealed impaired phagocytic capacity of neutrophils, and, inflammatory monocytes derived from Lm-infected ADAPko mice. Together, our data suggest that an alternative priming of phagocytes in ADAP-deficient mice during Lm infection induces marked alterations in the inflammatory profile of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes that contribute to enhanced immunopathology while limiting their capacity to eliminate the pathogen and to prevent the fatal outcome of the infection.
Project description:Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) kills up to 60% of infected newborns and adults >60 years of age but is asymptomic is most young adults. Monocytes are central to effective host defense against Lm. We hypothesize that age-dependent, pathway-specific differences in the ability of the monocyte to respond to Lm explain the increased risk of the newborn and older adult to severely suffer or die from Lm infection. To delineate age-dependent differences in innate responses that lead to differential infectious outcome, monocytes were isolated from cord blood (newborn) and peripheral blood (young and older adults) and infected with Lm. RNA was collected to determine age-dependent transcriptomic changes upon infection. Total RNA was isolated from purified human monocytes from 6 adult, 6 cord , 6 older adult blood donors that were infected with wild-type Listeria monocytogenes at a multiplicity of infected (MOI)=5 for 2 and 6 hr.
Project description:We investigated the innate immune system in the SOD1 ALS model. We found that splenic Ly6CHi monocytes were activated and their progressive recruitment to the spinal cord, but not brain, correlated with neuronal loss. We found a decrease in resident microglia in the spinal cord with disease progression. Two months prior to disease onset, splenic Ly6CHi monocytes had an M1 signature which included increased CCR2. At one month prior to disease onset, microglia expressed increased CCL2 and other chemotaxis-associated molecules. Microglia derived from the spinal cord of SOD1 mice recruited Ly6C+ monocytes to the CNS. Treatment with anti-Ly6C mAb modulated the Ly6CHi monocyte cytokine profile, reduced monocyte recruitment to the spinal cord, diminished neuronal loss and extended survival. In humans with ALS, CD14+/CD16- monocytes (analogue of Ly6CHi monocytes) exhibited an ALS specific microRNA inflammatory signature similar to that observed in the SOD1 mouse providing a direct link between the animal model and the human disease. Thus, the SOD1-like profile of monocytes in ALS subjects may serve as a biomarker for disease stage or progression. Our results suggest that recruitment of inflammatory monocytes plays an important role in disease progression and that modulation of these cells is a potential therapeutic approach. This study used the NanoString nCounter hybridization system and nCounter miRNA expression assays to identify and quantitate miRNAs in blood CD14+CD16- monocytes from ALS, MS and HC subjects Total RNA was isolated from FACS sorted CD14+CD16- blood-derived monocytes from sporadic ALS (n=8), MS (n=8) and HC (n=8) subjects. RNA was profiled using the NanoString nCounter miRNA expression assay