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Biomedical subjects

Tsuneyasu Kaisho

Publications and source records attributed to Tsuneyasu Kaisho.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PDLIM4 promotes dephosphorylation of STAT transcription factors by recruiting PTP-BL and inhibits Th1, Th2, and Th17 cell differentiation.

STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) transcription factors are activated by tyrosine phosphorylation after cytokine stimulation and are critical for the differentiation of T-helper (Th) cells into particular Th lineage subsets. How STAT-mediated Th cell differentiation is negatively regulated, however, is not fully understood. Here, we report that PDLIM4 binds to STAT3, 4, and 6 and suppresses gene activation mediated by these STATs. PDLIM4 acts as an adaptor that recruits PTP-BL, a protein tyrosine phosphatase, through its LIM (abnormal cell lineage 11-islet 1-mechanosensory abnormal 3) domain, facilitating dephosphorylation of STAT proteins. PDLIM4-deficiency in CD4+ T cells resulted in augmented tyrosine phosphorylation of these STAT proteins and consequently enhanced Th1, Th2, and Th17 cell differentiation, suggesting that PDLIM4 regulates the differentiation of multiple lineages of Th cells by suppressing STAT signaling. We further found that a non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism in PDLIM4, which causes the substitution of a glycine residue with a cysteine in the LIM domain, is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis and Graves' disease, both of which are known to be Th17 cell-driven autoimmune diseases. Notably, PDLIM4 containing this amino acid substitution in the LIM domain showed reduced binding to PTP-BL and was therefore partially impaired in its ability to dephosphorylate STAT3 and suppress STAT3 signaling. Our findings define an essential role of PDLIM4 in negatively regulating STAT-mediated Th-cell differentiation and preventing the onset of human autoimmune diseases.

Animals↗

Regulation of B1 cell migration by signals through Toll-like receptors.

Peritoneal B1 cells are known to generate large amounts of antibodies outside their residential site. These antibodies play an important role in the early defense against bacteria and viruses, before the establishment of adaptive immune responses. Although many stimuli, including antigen, lipopolysaccharide, or cytokines, have been shown to activate B1 cells and induce their differentiation into plasma cells, the molecular signals required for their egress from the peritoneal cavity are not understood. We demonstrate here that direct signals through Toll-like receptors (TLRs) induce specific, rapid, and transient down-regulation of integrins and CD9 on B1 cells, which is required for detachment from local matrix and a high velocity movement of cells in response to chemokines. Thus, we revealed an unexpected role for TLRs in governing the interplay between integrins, tetraspanins, and chemokine receptors required for B1 cell egress and, as such, in facilitating appropriate transition from innate to adaptive immune responses.

Animals↗

Cutting edge: Uniqueness of lymphoid chemokine requirement for the initiation and maturation of nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue organogenesis.

CD3(-)CD4(+)CD45(+) inducer cells are required for the initiation of mucosa-associated organogenesis of both nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissues (NALT) and Peyer's patches (PP) in the aerodigestive tract. CXCL13(-/-) mice and mice carrying the paucity of lymph node T cell (plt) mutation and lacking expression of CCL19 and CCL21 accumulate CD3(-)CD4(+)CD45(+) cells at the site of NALT but not of PP genesis. Although NALT was observed to develop in adult CXCL13(-/-) and plt/plt mice, the formation of germinal centers in CXCL13(-/-) mice was affected, and their population of B cells was much lower than in the NALT of CXCL13(+/-) mice. Similarly, fewer T cells were observed in the NALT of plt/plt mice than in control mice. These findings indicate that the initiation of NALT organogenesis is independent of CXCL13, CCL19, and CCL21. However, the expression of these lymphoid chemokines is essential for the maturation of NALT microarchitecture.

Animals↗

TRIF-GEFH1-RhoB pathway is involved in MHCII expression on dendritic cells that is critical for CD4 T-cell activation.

Dendritic cells (DC) play a central role in immune responses by presenting antigenic peptides to CD4+ T cells through MHCII molecules. Here, we demonstrate a TRIF-GEFH1-RhoB pathway is involved in MHCII surface expression on DC. We show the TRIF (TIR domain-containing adapter inducing IFNbeta)- but not the myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-dependent pathway of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-signaling in DC is crucial for the MHCII surface expression, followed by CD4+ T-cell activation. LPS increased the activity of RhoB, but not of RhoA, Cdc42, or Rac1/2 in a manor dependent on LPS-TRIF- but not LPS-Myd88-signaling. RhoB colocalized with MHCII+ lysosomes in DC. A dominant-negative (DN) form of RhoB (DN-RhoB) or RhoB's RNAi in DC inhibited the LPS-induced MHCII surface expression. Moreover, we found GEFH1 associated with RhoB, and DN-GEFH1 or GEFH1's RNAi suppressed the LPS-mediated RhoB activation and MHCII surface expression. DN-RhoB attenuated the DC's CD4+ T-cell stimulatory activity. Thus, our results provide a molecular mechanism relating how the MHCII surface expression is regulated during the maturation stage of DC. The activation of GEFH1-RhoB through the TRIF-dependent pathway of LPS in DC might be a critical target for controlling the activation of CD4+ T cells.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Toll-like receptor-mediated regulation of zinc homeostasis influences dendritic cell function.

Zinc is a trace element that is essential for the function of many enzymes and transcription factors. Zinc deficiency results in defects in innate and acquired immune responses. However, little is known about the mechanism(s) by which zinc affects immune cell function. Here we show that stimulation with the Toll-like receptor 4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS) altered the expression of zinc transporters in dendritic cells and thereby decreased intracellular free zinc. A zinc chelator mimicked the effects of LPS, whereas zinc supplementation or overexpression of the gene encoding Zip6, a zinc transporter whose expression was reduced by LPS, inhibited LPS-induced upregulation of major histocompatibility complex class II and costimulatory molecules. These results establish a link between Toll-like receptor signaling and zinc homeostasis.

Animals↗

IkappaB kinase-alpha is critical for interferon-alpha production induced by Toll-like receptors 7 and 9.

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) family has important roles in microbial recognition and dendritic cell activation. TLRs 7 and 9 can recognize nucleic acids and trigger signalling cascades that activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells to produce interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) (refs 7, 8). TLR7/9-mediated dendritic cell activation is critical for antiviral immunity but also contributes to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease in which serum IFN-alpha levels are elevated owing to plasmacytoid dendritic cell activation. TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha induction depends on a molecular complex that contains a TLR adaptor, MyD88, and IFN regulatory factor 7 (IRF-7) (refs 10-14), but the underlying molecular mechanisms are as yet unknown. Here we show that IkappaB kinase-alpha (IKK-alpha) is critically involved in TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha production. TLR7/9-induced IFN-alpha production was severely impaired in IKK-alpha-deficient plasmacytoid dendritic cells, whereas inflammatory cytokine induction was decreased but still occurred. Kinase-deficient IKK-alpha inhibited the ability of MyD88 to activate the Ifna promoter in synergy with IRF-7. Furthermore, IKK-alpha associated with and phosphorylated IRF-7. Our results identify a role for IKK-alpha in TLR7/9 signalling, and highlight IKK-alpha as a potential target for manipulating TLR-induced IFN-alpha production.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Toll-like receptor function and signaling.

Mammals sense pathogen invasion through pattern-recognition receptors. A group of transmembrane proteins, Toll-like receptors (TLRs), play critical roles as pattern-recognition receptors. They are mainly expressed on antigen-presenting cells, such as macrophages or dendritic cells, and their signaling activates antigen-presenting cells to provoke innate immunity and to establish adaptive immunity. Each TLR has common effects, such as inflammatory cytokine induction or upregulation of costimulatory molecule expression, but also has its specific function, exemplified by type I IFN-inducing ability. These immunoadjuvant effects are not only critical in antimicrobial immunity but are also involved in manifestations of autoimmunity. Furthermore, some TLR agonists are now promising therapeutic tools for various immune disorders, including allergy. Therefore understanding molecular mechanisms on TLRs should be quite useful in the development of therapeutic maneuvers against allergy and autoimmune diseases.

Animals↗

Essential role of IkappaB kinase alpha in thymic organogenesis required for the establishment of self-tolerance.

IkappaB kinase (IKK) alpha exhibits diverse biological activities through protein kinase-dependent and -independent functions, the former mediated predominantly through a noncanonical NF-kappaB activation pathway. The in vivo function of IKKalpha, however, still remains elusive. Because a natural strain of mice with mutant NF-kappaB-inducing kinase (NIK) manifests autoimmunity as a result of disorganized thymic structure with abnormal expression of Rel proteins in the thymic stroma, we speculated that the NIK-IKKalpha axis might constitute an essential step in the thymic organogenesis that is required for the establishment of self-tolerance. An autoimmune disease phenotype was induced in athymic nude mice by grafting embryonic thymus from IKKalpha-deficient mice. The thymic microenvironment that caused autoimmunity in an IKKalpha-dependent manner was associated with defective processing of NF-kappaB2, resulting in the impaired development of thymic epithelial cells. Thus, our results demonstrate a novel function for IKKalpha in thymic organogenesis for the establishment of central tolerance that depends on its protein kinase activity in cooperation with NIK.

Animals↗

CXCL13 is an arrest chemokine for B cells in high endothelial venules.

Chemokine receptor signaling is critical for lymphocyte trafficking across high endothelial venules (HEVs), but the exact mode of action of individual chemokines expressed in the HEVs is unclear. Here we report that CXCL13, expressed in a substantial proportion of HEVs in both lymph nodes (LNs) and Peyer patches (PPs), serves as an arrest chemokine for B cells. Whole-mount analysis of mesenteric LNs (MLNs) showed that, unlike T cells, B cellsa dhere poorly to the HEVs of CXCL13-/- mice and that B-cell adhesion is substantially restored in CXCL13-/- HEVs when CXCL13 is added to the MLNs by superfusion, as we have previously observed in PP HEVs by intravital microscopy. In vitro, CXCL13 activated the small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rap1 in B cells, and corroborating this observation, a deficiency of RAPL, the Rap1 effector molecule, caused a significant reduction in shear-resistant B-cell adhesion to intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). In addition, CXCL13 induced B-cell adhesion to mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 (MAdCAM-1) by activating alpha4 integrin. These data identify CXCL13 as an arrest chemokine for B cells in HEVs and show that CXCL13 plays an important role in B-cell entry into not only PPs but also MLNs.

Animals↗

The radioprotective 105/MD-1 complex links TLR2 and TLR4/MD-2 in antibody response to microbial membranes.

Low-affinity IgG3 Abs to microbial membranes are important for primary immune defense against microbes, but little is known about the importance of TLRs in their production. IgG3 levels were extremely low in mice lacking radioprotective 105 (RP105), a B cell surface molecule structurally related to TLRs. RP105(-/-) B cells proliferated poorly in response to not only the TLR4 ligand LPS but also TLR2 ligand lipoproteins, both of which mediate the immunostimulatory activity of microbial membranes. RP105(-/-) mice were severely impaired in hapten-specific Ab production against LPS or lipoproteins. CD138 (syndecan-1)-positive plasma cells were detected after lipid A injection in wild-type spleen but much less in RP105(-/-) spleen. RP105 ligation in vivo induced plasma cell differentiation. RP105 expression was approximately 3-fold higher on marginal zone B cells than on follicular and B1 cells and was down-regulated on germinal center cells. These results demonstrate that a signal via RP105 is uniquely important for regulating TLR-dependent Ab production to microbial membranes.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

CpG RNA: identification of novel single-stranded RNA that stimulates human CD14+CD11c+ monocytes.

Synthetic immunostimulatory nucleic acids such as CpG DNA are being harnessed therapeutically as vaccine adjuvants, anticancer or antiallergic agents. Efforts to identify nucleic acid-based agents capable of more specifically modulating the immune system are being developed. The current study identifies a novel class of single-stranded oligoribonucleotides (ORN) containing unmethylated CpG motifs and a poly(G) run at the 3' end (CpG ORN) that directly stimulate human CD14+CD11c+ monocytes but not dendritic cells or B cells. CpG ORN activate NF-kappaB and p38 MAPK, resulting in IL-6 and IL-12 production and costimulatory molecule up-regulation but not IFNalpha. Methylation of cytosine at the 5' portion in core CpG motif abrogates such activation. TLR3, 7, 8, or 9 alone did not confer response to CpG ORN, in contrast to previously reported respective nucleic acid ligands. These data suggest that CpG ORN represent a novel class of synthetic immunostimulatory nucleic acids with distinct target cells, receptors, and functions from that of previously known immunomodulatory nucleic acids.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Regulation of Toll/IL-1-receptor-mediated gene expression by the inducible nuclear protein IkappaBzeta.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize microbial components and trigger the inflammatory and immune responses against pathogens. IkappaBzeta (also known as MAIL and INAP) is an ankyrin-repeat-containing nuclear protein that is highly homologous to the IkappaB family member Bcl-3 (refs 1-6). Transcription of IkappaBzeta is rapidly induced by stimulation with TLR ligands and interleukin-1 (IL-1). Here we show that IkappaBzeta is indispensable for the expression of a subset of genes activated in TLR/IL-1R signalling pathways. IkappaBzeta-deficient cells show severe impairment of IL-6 production in response to a variety of TLR ligands as well as IL-1, but not in response to tumour-necrosis factor-alpha. Endogenous IkappaBzeta specifically associates with the p50 subunit of NF-kappaB, and is recruited to the NF-kappaB binding site of the IL-6 promoter on stimulation. Moreover, NF-kappaB1/p50-deficient mice show responses to TLR/IL-1R ligands similar to those of IkappaBzeta-deficient mice. Endotoxin-induced expression of other genes such as Il12b and Csf2 is also abrogated in IkappaBzeta-deficient macrophages. Given that the lipopolysaccharide-induced transcription of IkappaBzeta occurs earlier than transcription of these genes, some TLR/IL-1R-mediated responses may be regulated in a gene expression process of at least two steps that requires inducible IkappaBzeta.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Prediction of the coding sequences of mouse homologues of KIAA gene: IV. The complete nucleotide sequences of 500 mouse KIAA-homologous cDNAs identified by screening of terminal sequences of cDNA clones randomly sampled from size-fractionated libraries.

We have been conducting a mouse cDNA project to predict protein-coding sequences of mouse homologues of human KIAA and FLJ genes since 2001. As an extension of these projects, we herein present the entire sequences of 500 mKIAA cDNA clones and 4 novel cDNA clones that were incidentally identified during this project. We have isolated cDNA clones from the size-fractionated mouse cDNA libraries derived from 7 tissues and 3 types of cultured cells. The average size of the 504 cDNA sequences reached 4.3 kb and that of the deduced amino acid sequences from these cDNAs was 807 amino acid residues. We assigned the integrity of CDSs from the comparison with the corresponding human KIAA cDNA sequences. The comparison of mouse and human sequences revealed that two different human KIAA cDNAs are derived from single genes. Furthermore, 3 out of 4 proteins encoded in the novel cDNA clones showed moderate sequence similarity with human KIAA proteins, thus we could obtain new members of KIAA protein families through our mouse cDNA projects.

Animals↗

The roles of two IkappaB kinase-related kinases in lipopolysaccharide and double stranded RNA signaling and viral infection.

Viral infection and stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or double stranded RNA (dsRNA) induce phosphorylation of interferon (IFN) regulatory factor (IRF)-3 and its translocation to the nucleus, thereby leading to the IFN-beta gene induction. Recently, two IkappaB kinase (IKK)-related kinases, inducible IkappaB kinase (IKK-i) and TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), were suggested to act as IRF-3 kinases and be involved in IFN-beta production in Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling and viral infection. In this work, we investigated the physiological roles of these kinases by gene targeting. TBK1-deficient embryonic fibroblasts (EFs) showed dramatic decrease in induction of IFN-beta and IFN-inducible genes in response to LPS or dsRNA as well as after viral infection. However, dsRNA-induced expression of these genes was residually detected in TBK1-deficient cells and intact in IKK-i-deficient cells, but completely abolished in IKK-i/TBK1 doubly deficient cells. IRF-3 activation, in response not only to dsRNA but also to viral infection, was impaired in TBK1-deficient cells. Together, these results demonstrate that TBK1 as well as, albeit to a lesser extent, IKK-i play a crucial role in the induction of IFN-beta and IFN-inducible genes in both TLR-stimulated and virus-infected EFs.

Animals↗

Innate antiviral responses by means of TLR7-mediated recognition of single-stranded RNA.

Interferons (IFNs) are critical for protection from viral infection, but the pathways linking virus recognition to IFN induction remain poorly understood. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells produce vast amounts of IFN-alpha in response to the wild-type influenza virus. Here, we show that this requires endosomal recognition of influenza genomic RNA and signaling by means of Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) and MyD88. Single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) molecules of nonviral origin also induce TLR7-dependent production of inflammatory cytokines. These results identify ssRNA as a ligand for TLR7 and suggest that cells of the innate immune system sense endosomal ssRNA to detect infection by RNA viruses.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Complement C1q regulates LPS-induced cytokine production in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells.

We show here that C1q suppresses IL-12p40 production in LPS-stimulated murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC). Serum IL-12p40 concentration of C1q-deficient mice was higher than that of wild-type mice after intraperitoneal LPS-injection. Because neither globular head of C1q (gC1q) nor collagen-like region of C1q (cC1q) failed to suppress LPS-induced IL-12p40 production, both gC1q and cC1q, and/or some specialized conformation of native C1q may be required for the inhibition. While C1q did not affect mRNA expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), MD-2, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), BMDC treated with C1q showed the reduced activity of NF-kappaB and the delayed phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase after LPS-stimulation. CpG oligodeoxynucleotide-induced IL-12p40 and TNF-alpha production, another MyD88-dependent TLR-mediated signal, was also suppressed by C1q treatment. Therefore, C1q is likely to suppress MyD88-dependent pathway in TLR-mediated signals. In contrast, C1q failed to suppress colony formation of B cells responding to LPS or LPS-induced CD40 and CD86 expression on BMDC in MyD88-deficient mice, indicating that inhibitory effects of C1q on MyD88-independent pathways may be limited. Taken together, C1q may regulate innate and adaptive immune systems via modification of signals mediated by interactions between invading pathogens and TLR.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Pleiotropic function of Toll-like receptors.

A group of type I transmembrane proteins, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) discriminate various microorganism-associated molecular structures that can function as immune adjuvants. Each TLR signaling has an overlapping but distinct function, which largely depends on intracellular adaptor molecules. Clarifying the functions and signaling of TLRs should provide us with critical information for manipulating the host defense mechanism.

Animals↗