PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Bobby J Cherayil

Publications and source records attributed to Bobby J Cherayil.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

The iron efflux protein ferroportin regulates the intracellular growth of Salmonella enterica.

We investigated the influence of the macrophage iron exporter ferroportin and its ligand hepcidin on intracellular Salmonella growth. Elevated ferroportin expression inhibited bacterial multiplication; hepcidin-induced ferroportin down-regulation enhanced it. Expression analysis of iron-responsive Salmonella genes indicated ferroportin-mediated iron deprivation. These results demonstrate a role for ferroportin in antimicrobial resistance.

Animals↗

Developmentally regulated intestinal expression of IFN-gamma and its target genes and the age-specific response to enteric Salmonella infection.

Young infants are highly susceptible to systemic dissemination of enteric pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium when compared with older individuals. The mechanisms underlying this differential susceptibility have not been defined clearly. To better understand this phenomenon, we examined the responses of adult mice and preweaned pups to oral infection by S. typhimurium. We found clear age-specific differences, namely, an attenuated intestinal inflammatory response and a higher systemic bacterial burden in the pups compared with the adults. To elucidate the molecular basis for these differences, we obtained a microarray-based profile of gene expression in the small intestines of uninfected adult and preweaned animals. The results indicated a striking age-dependent increase in the intestinal expression of a number of IFN-gamma-regulated genes involved in antimicrobial defense. This finding was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR, which also demonstrated an age-dependent increase in intestinal expression of IFN-gamma. The developmental up-regulation of the IFN-gamma-regulated genes was dependent on both IFN-gamma and a normal commensal microflora, as indicated by experiments in IFN-gamma-knockout mice and germfree mice, respectively. However, the increase in expression of IFN-gamma itself was independent of the commensal flora. The functional importance of IFN-gamma in the immunological maturation of the intestine was confirmed by the observation that the response of adult IFN-gamma-knockout animals to S. typhimurium infection resembled that of the wild-type pups. Our findings thus reveal a novel role for IFN-gamma in the developmental regulation of antimicrobial responses in the intestine.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

A phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase-dependent anti-inflammatory pathway activated by Salmonella in epithelial cells.

Salmonella activates the phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway in epithelial cells, but its role in inflammation has not been previously elucidated. We show here that inhibition of PI3K in T84 intestinal epithelial cells results in augmentation of Salmonella-induced interleukin-8 (IL-8) production at the level of both protein and mRNA. The mechanism of this effect appears to involve altered activation of the extracellular growth factor-regulated kinase (ERK), a molecule that is implicated in the regulation of IL-8 expression. These results identify activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway as an anti-inflammatory signal that may contribute to the establishment of Salmonella in the intestine.

Cell Line↗

Perisinusoidal B cells in the bone marrow participate in T-independent responses to blood-borne microbes.

Mature recirculating B cells are generally assumed to exist in follicular niches in secondary lymphoid organs, and these cells mediate T-dependent humoral immune responses. We show here that a large proportion of mature B lymphocytes occupy an anatomically and functionally distinct perisinusoidal niche in the bone marrow. Perisinusoidal B cells circulate freely, as revealed by parabiosis studies. However, unlike their counterparts in the follicular niche, these cells are capable of being activated in situ by blood-borne microbes in a T-independent manner to generate specific IgM antibodies. The bone marrow represents a unique type of secondary lymphoid organ in which mature B cells are strategically positioned in the path of circulating microbes.

Animals↗

Toll-like receptor 4 mutation impairs the macrophage TNFalpha response to peptidoglycan.

Macrophages produce TNFalpha when infected by bacteria, a response that follows recognition of microbial components by members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family. Cells that lack functional TLR4 are known to have markedly diminished responses to Gram-negative lipopolysaccharide. We demonstrate in the present work that peritoneal macrophages derived from strains of mice that carry a spontaneous, inactivating mutation in TLR4 also have impaired production of TNFalpha in response to peptidoglycan, a ligand for TLR2. This impairment is at a step of biosynthesis subsequent to the generation of mRNA. TLR4-activated signals act at this step to enhance peptidoglycan-induced TNFalpha production in wild-type mice. Based on these observations, we conclude that macrophages from wild-type mice are primed by chronically acting TLR4 signals, probably resulting from exposure to environmental lipopolysaccharide. These signals are required for optimal production of TNFalpha in response to TLR2 stimulation, and are absent in macrophages from TLR4 mutant animals.

Animals↗

Developmentally regulated IkappaB expression in intestinal epithelium and susceptibility to flagellin-induced inflammation.

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a devastating inflammatory condition of the intestine that occurs almost exclusively in premature newborns. Although its exact pathogenesis is unclear, we have postulated that it may result from a predisposition of the immature intestine to mount an unusually robust and damaging response to microbial infection. In support of this idea, we report that the IL-8 response of an immature human enterocyte cell line to bacterial infection was significantly higher than that of a mature enterocyte cell line. The response in both cell lines was flagellin-dependent. Corresponding to the difference in IL-8 production, the immature enterocytes expressed appreciably lower levels of specific IkappaB genes when compared with the mature enterocytes. Similar developmentally regulated differences in cytokine response and IkappaB expression were also seen in primary rat enterocytes, indicating that these observations were not peculiarities of the cell lines. Furthermore, when the level of IkappaBalpha expression was increased in the immature cell line by transfection, the flagellin-dependent IL-8 response was attenuated. Thus, we have demonstrated a previously undescribed developmental regulation of IkappaB expression in the intestine involved in modulating the IL-8 response to bacterial infection, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of age-specific inflammatory bowel diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis.

Adult↗

Cooperative interactions between flagellin and SopE2 in the epithelial interleukin-8 response to Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium infection.

Flagellin is an important stimulus for epithelial interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion because of its ability to activate Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). SopE2, a Salmonella guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), is also involved in intestinal inflammation. To clarify the proinflammatory mechanisms of these proteins, we examined their effects on IL-8 secretion and intracellular signaling in T84 epithelial cells. A Salmonella strain lacking SopE2 (and its homolog SopE) induced lower levels of IL-8 than the wild type and exhibited reduced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Overexpression of wild-type SopE2 in this strain restored MAPK activation and augmented IL-8 production, whereas a mutant lacking GEF activity failed to increase IL-8 expression. Additional effects on signaling were demonstrated in transient transfection experiments, in which SopE2 enhanced the ability of TRAF6, a signal transducer downstream of TLR5, to activate the NF-kappaB transcription factor in 293 cells. Flagellin was also found to be required for IL-8 induction in T84 cells. In its absence, the ability of SopE2 overexpression to increase IL-8 secretion was impaired. Part of this impairment was related to the decreased motility of the flagellin-deficient strain, but lack of flagellin also affected translocation of SopE2 into the infected cells. Our results indicate that flagellin and SopE2 interact functionally at multiple levels to increase IL-8 secretion by epithelial cells-flagellin facilitating the translocation of SopE2, and SopE2 enhancing signaling pathways activated by flagellin. These observations offer a mechanistic explanation for the involvement of these proteins in the pathogenesis of Salmonella-induced gastroenteritis.

Bacterial Proteins↗

How not to get bugged by bugs: mechanisms of cellular tolerance to microorganisms.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Advances in the characterization of the receptors and signaling pathways involved in the response to infection have led to a more detailed understanding of cellular tolerance to endotoxin and other microbial components. This review summarizes recent progress in the field, particularly in relation to the molecular mechanisms that underlie the development of tolerance to microorganisms. RECENT FINDINGS: The identification of Toll-like receptors as major sensors of microbial molecules has led to numerous studies of their function in tolerant cells. Decreased Toll-like receptor expression, altered interactions between the Toll-like receptors and intracellular signal transducers, and decreased expression or activity of downstream signaling molecules have all been implicated. Upregulation of specific proteins that inhibit Toll-like receptor signaling has also been described. Apart from these general mechanisms, special features of the intestinal microenvironment and its resident cells also contribute to making the gut hyporesponsive to microorganisms. SUMMARY: The application of gene knockout technology has highlighted the importance of macrophage tolerance in regulating innate immunity to microbial infection. Such studies have indicated that the failure of tolerance can lead to exaggerated inflammatory responses to intestinal bacteria, raising the possibility that defects in tolerance may be linked to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. Further characterization of this link will help in elucidating the pathogenesis of such conditions and in devising new approaches to treatment.

Journal Article↗

Role of Toll-like receptor 4 in macrophage activation and tolerance during Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in the innate immune response, particularly in the initial interaction between the infecting microorganism and phagocytic cells, such as macrophages. We investigated the role of TLR4 during infection of primary murine peritoneal macrophages with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. We found that macrophages from the C3H/HeJ mouse strain, which carries a functionally inactive Tlr4 gene, exhibit marked impairment of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion in response to S. enterica serovar Typhimurium infection. However, activation of extracellular growth factor-regulated kinase and NF-kappa B signaling pathways was relatively unaffected, as was increased expression of TNF-alpha mRNA. Furthermore, macrophage tolerance, which is associated with increased expression of the NF-kappa B p50 and p52 subunits, was induced by S. enterica serovar Typhimurium even in the absence of functional TLR4. These results indicate that during infection of macrophages by S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, TLR4 signals are required at a posttranscriptional step to maximize secretion of TNF-alpha. Signals delivered by pattern recognition receptors other than TLR4 are sufficient for the increased expression of the TNF-alpha transcript and at least some genes associated with macrophage tolerance.

Animals↗