ABSTRACTPseudomonas fluorescensis an opportunistic indoor pathogen that can cause severe airway proinflammatory responses. Pulmonary epithelium, like other mucosal epithelial linings of the body, constitutes the first line of defense against airway microbial pathogens. Mucosal epithelial cells can be a sentinel of pathogenic bacteria via stimulation of specific cell surface receptors, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Toll-like receptor (TLR). This study addressed the involvement of EGFR in airway epithelial pathogenesis byP. fluorescens. Human A549 pneumocytes showed prolonged production of proinflammatory interleukin-8 (IL-8) in response to infection withP. fluorescens, which was via the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Production of proinflammatory cytokine IL-8 was not mediated byP. fluorescenslipopolysaccharide, a representative TLR4 agonist, but was mediated through EGFR-linked signals activated by the opportunistic bacteria. Moreover, EGFR signals were involved in NF-κB signal-mediated production of proinflammatory cytokines. Along with persistent NF-κB activation,P. fluorescensenhanced the EGFR phosphorylation and subsequent activation of downstream mediators, including protein kinase B or extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1/2. Blocking of EGFR-linked signals increased epithelial susceptibility to pathogen-induced epithelial cell death, suggesting protective roles of EGFR signals. Thus, airway epithelial exposure toP. fluorescenscan trigger antiapoptotic responses via EGFR and proinflammatory responses via TLR4-independent NF-κB signaling pathway in human pneumocytes.
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is proteolytically modified by the Matriptase–Prostasin serine protease cascade in cultured epithelial cells
