Project description:Macrophages infiltrate islets early in the pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), instigating islet inflammation and subsequent recognition by the adaptive immune system. A reanalysis of a publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing dataset from a pre-diabetic female non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse revealed that the Integrated Stress Response (ISR), an evolutionarily conserved cellular pathway, is upregulated in macrophages during T1D progression. Triggered by environmental and pathological stressors, the ISR coordinates adaptive changes in gene expression to maintain cell functionality and survival and is identified as a candidate for targeted intervention. Following this, in vitro experiments on macrophage polarization and migration were conducted to evaluate changes resulting from ISR modulation. Results showed that ISR inhibition reduced the propensity of macrophages to polarize to a pro-inflammatory state without affecting anti-inflammatory polarization and reduced the migratory capabilities of pro-inflammatory macrophages. Observations from pre-diabetic female NOD mice administered ISRIB, a pharmacological ISR inhibitor, indicated a reduction in macrophage numbers within the islets, with increased PD-L1 expression on the macrophages.
Project description:Macrophages play critical roles in inflammation and tissue homeostasis, and their functions are regulated by various autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine factors. We have previously shown that CTRP6, a secreted protein of the C1q family, targets both adipocytes and macrophages to promote obesity-linked inflammation in adipose tissue. However, the gene programs and signaling pathways directly regulated by CTRP6 in macrophage remain unknown. Here, we combine transcriptomic and phosphoproteomic analyses to show that CTRP6 activates inflammatory gene programs and signaling pathways in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Treatment of BMDMs with CTRP6 upregulates proinflammatory, and suppresses the anti-inflammatory, gene expression. We show that CTRP6 activates p44/42-MAPK, p38-MAPK, and NF-κB signalings to promote inflammatory cytokine secretion from BMDMs, and that pharmacologic inhibition of these signaling pathways largely abolish the effects of CTRP6. Pretreatment of BMDMs with CTRP6 further augments LPS-induced inflammatory signaling and cytokine secretion from BMDMs. Consistent with the metabolic phenotype of proinflammatory M1-like macrophages, CTRP6 treatment induces a shift toward aerobic glycolysis and lactate production, reduces oxidative metabolism, and elevates mitochondrial ROS production in BMDMs. We use a Ctrp6 knockout mouse model to further confirm the physiologic relevance of our in vitro findings. BMDMs from CTRP6-deficient mice are less inflammatory at baseline and show a marked suppression of LPS-induced inflammatory gene expression and cytokine secretion. Loss of CTRP6 in mice also dampens LPS-induced inflammation and hypothermia. Collectively, we provide mechanistic evidence that CTRP6 regulates macrophage function, and neutralizing CTRP6 activity may have beneficial effects in reducing inflammation.
Project description:Background: Atherosclerosis leads high mortality, highlighting an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Protein kinases orchestrate multiple cellular events in atherosclerosis and may provide new therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis. Here, we identified a protein kinase, WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1), promoting inflammatory response in atherosclerosis. Methods: The ApoE-/- mice without macrophage-specific WEE1 deletion (ApoE-/-WEE1f/f) and ApoE-/- mice with macrophage-specific WEE1 deletion (ApoE-/-WEE1MCKO) were generated using bone marrow transplantation. These mice and WEE1 inhibitor MK1775 were used in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerotic model. Human atherosclerotic tissues, mouse primary peritoneal macrophages (MPMs), 293T cells, and recombinant proteins were utilized to investigate the pathogenic role and underlying mechanisms of WEE1. Results: We identified up-regulated p-WEE1 in macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions of HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice. Transcriptome sequencing analysis indicated that WEE1 promotes oxLDL-induced inflammation in macrophages. We then demonstrated that macrophage-specific deletion or pharmacological inhibition of WEE1 attenuates atherosclerosis by reducing inflammation both in vivo and in vitro. The overexpression of wild-type WEE1 or activating-mutant WEE1, but not inactivating-mutant WEE1, exacerbates inflammation in macrophages. Mechanistically, transcriptome sequencing analysis and co-immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative proteomics analysis identified p65 as a binding protein of WEE1. We confirmed that WEE1 directly interacts with the RHD domain of p65 via kinase domain and phosphorylates p65 at S536, thereby facilitating subsequent NF-κB activation and inflammatory response in macrophages. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that macrophage WEE1 promotes inflammatory atherosclerosis by directly binding to p65 and phosphorylate it at S536. This study provides WEE1 as a new p65 regulator in inflammation and a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.
Project description:In autoimmune diseases, accumulation of activated leukocytes correlates with inflammation and disease progression, and therefore, disruption of leukocyte trafficking is an active area of research. The protein kinase Tpl2 (MAP3K8) regulates leukocyte inflammatory responses and is also being investigated for therapeutic inhibition during autoimmunity. Herein, we addressed the contribution of Tpl2 to the regulation of macrophage chemokine and chemokine receptor expression and subsequent migration in vivo using a mouse model of Tpl2 ablation. We found that gene expression of the chemokine ligands CCL2, CCL7, CXCL2, and CXCL3 as well as the chemokine receptors CCR1 and CCR5 were reduced in macrophages from the bone marrow and peritoneal cavities of tpl2-/- mice following stimulation with LPS. LPS stimulation repressed chemokine receptor expression of CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5. Notably, LPS-induced repression of CCR1 and CCR5 was significantly enhanced in Tpl2-deficient macrophages and was observed to be dependent upon Erk activation and independent of PI3K and mTOR signaling. Consistent with alterations in chemokine and chemokine receptor expression, tpl2-/- macrophages were defective in trafficking to the peritoneal cavity following thioglycollate-induced inflammation. Overall, this study demonstrates a Tpl2-dependent mechanism for macrophage expression of both chemokine receptors and their ligands and provides further insight into how Tpl2 inhibition may disrupt inflammatory networks in vivo. microarray was used to profile the genome-wide expression patterns in Tpl2 wild-type and deficient macrophage.
Project description:The integrated stress response (ISR) regulates cellular homeostasis and cell survival following exposure to stressors. Cell death processes such as apoptosis and pyroptosis are known to be modulated by stress responses, but the role of the ISR in necroptosis is poorly understood. Necroptosis is an inflammatory, lytic form of cell death driven by the RIPK3-MLKL signaling axis. Here, we show that macrophages that have induced the ISR are protected from subsequent necroptosis. Consistent with a reduction in necroptosis, phosphorylation of RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL is reduced in macrophages pre-treated with ISR-inducing agents that are challenged with necroptosis-inducing triggers. The stress granule component DDX3X, which is involved in ISR-mediated regulation of pyroptosis, is not required for protecting ISR-treated cells from necroptosis. Disruption of stress granule assembly or knockdown of Perk restored necroptosis in pre-stressed cells. Together, these findings identify a critical role for the ISR in limiting necroptosis in macrophages.
Project description:Background: Atherosclerosis leads high mortality, highlighting an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Protein kinases orchestrate multiple cellular events in atherosclerosis and may provide new therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis. Here, we identified a protein kinase, WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1), promoting inflammatory response in atherosclerosis. Methods: The ApoE-/- mice without macrophage-specific WEE1 deletion (ApoE-/-WEE1f/f) and ApoE-/- mice with macrophage-specific WEE1 deletion (ApoE-/-WEE1MCKO) were generated using bone marrow transplantation. These mice and WEE1 inhibitor MK1775 were used in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerotic model. Human atherosclerotic tissues, mouse primary peritoneal macrophages (MPMs), 293T cells, and recombinant proteins were utilized to investigate the pathogenic role and underlying mechanisms of WEE1. Results: We identified up-regulated p-WEE1 in macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions of HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice. Transcriptome sequencing analysis indicated that WEE1 promotes oxLDL-induced inflammation in macrophages. We then demonstrated that macrophage-specific deletion or pharmacological inhibition of WEE1 attenuates atherosclerosis by reducing inflammation both in vivo and in vitro. The overexpression of wild-type WEE1 or activating-mutant WEE1, but not inactivating-mutant WEE1, exacerbates inflammation in macrophages. Mechanistically, transcriptome sequencing analysis and co-immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative proteomics analysis identified p65 as a binding protein of WEE1. We confirmed that WEE1 directly interacts with the RHD domain of p65 via kinase domain and phosphorylates p65 at S536, thereby facilitating subsequent NF-κB activation and inflammatory response in macrophages. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that macrophage WEE1 promotes inflammatory atherosclerosis by directly binding to p65 and phosphorylate it at S536. This study provides WEE1 as a new p65 regulator in inflammation and a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.