scholarly journals Acidic Mammalian Chitinase Negatively Affects Immune Responses during Acute and ChronicAspergillus fumigatusExposure

2018 ◽  
Vol 86 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaleesa M. Garth ◽  
Joseph J. Mackel ◽  
Kristen M. Reeder ◽  
Jonathan P. Blackburn ◽  
Chad W. Dunaway ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTChitin is a polysaccharide that provides structure and rigidity to the cell walls of fungi and insects. Mammals possess multiple chitinases, which function to degrade chitin, thereby supporting a role for chitinases in immune defense. However, chitin degradation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. Here, we determined the impact of acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) (Chia) deficiency on host defense during acute exposure to the fungal pathogenAspergillus fumigatusas well as its contribution toA. fumigatus-associated allergic asthma. We demonstrate that chitin in the fungal cell wall was detected at low levels inA. fumigatusconidia, which emerged at the highest level during hyphal transition. In response to acuteA. fumigatuschallenge,Chia−/−mice unexpectedly demonstrated lowerA. fumigatuslung burdens at 2 days postchallenge. The lower fungal burden correlated with decreased lung interleukin-33 (IL-33) levels yet increased IL-1β and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) production, a phenotype that we reported previously to promote the induction of IL-17A and IL-22. During chronicA. fumigatusexposure, AMCase deficiency resulted in lower dynamic and airway lung resistance than in wild-type mice. Improved lung physiology correlated with attenuated levels of the proallergic chemokines CCL17 and CCL22. Surprisingly, examination of inflammatory responses during chronic exposure revealed attenuated IL-17A and IL-22 responses, but not type 2 responses, in the absence of AMCase. Collectively, these data suggest that AMCase functions as a negative regulator of immune responses during acute fungal exposure and is a contributor to fungal asthma severity, putatively via the induction of proinflammatory responses.

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadaan Abid ◽  
ShangKui Xie ◽  
Moumita Bose ◽  
Philip W. Shaul ◽  
Lance S. Terada ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Females have a more severe clinical course than males in terms of several inflammatory lung conditions. Notably, females with cystic fibrosis (CF) suffer worse outcomes, particularly in the setting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Sex hormones have been implicated in experimental and clinical studies; however, immune mechanisms responsible for this sex-based disparity are unknown and the specific sex hormone target for therapeutic manipulation has not been identified. The objective of this study was to assess mechanisms behind the impact of female sex hormones on host immune responses to P. aeruginosa. We used wild-type and CF mice, which we hormone manipulated, inoculated with P. aeruginosa, and then examined for outcomes and inflammatory responses. Neutrophils isolated from mice and human subjects were tested for responses to P. aeruginosa. We found that female mice inoculated with P. aeruginosa died earlier and showed slower bacterial clearance than males (P < 0.0001). Ovariectomized females supplemented with 17β-estradiol succumbed to P. aeruginosa challenge earlier than progesterone- or vehicle-supplemented mice (P = 0.0003). 17β-Estradiol-treated ovariectomized female mice demonstrated increased lung levels of inflammatory cytokines, and when rendered neutropenic the mortality difference was abrogated. Neutrophils treated with 17β-estradiol demonstrated an enhanced oxidative burst but decreased P. aeruginosa killing and earlier cell necrosis. The estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI 182,780 improved survival in female mice infected with P. aeruginosa and restored neutrophil function. We concluded that ER antagonism rescues estrogen-mediated neutrophil dysfunction and improves survival in response to P. aeruginosa. ER-mediated processes may explain the sex-based mortality gap in CF and other inflammatory lung illnesses, and the ER blockade represents a rational therapeutic strategy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel B. Bone ◽  
Eugene J. Becker ◽  
Maroof Husain ◽  
Shaoning Jiang ◽  
Anna A. Zmijewska ◽  
...  

AbstractMetabolic and bioenergetic plasticity of immune cells is essential for optimal responses to bacterial infections. AMPK and Parkin ubiquitin ligase are known to regulate mitochondrial quality control mitophagy that prevents unwanted inflammatory responses. However, it is not known if this evolutionarily conserved mechanism has been coopted by the host immune defense to eradicate bacterial pathogens and influence post-sepsis immunosuppression. Parkin, AMPK levels, and the effects of AMPK activators were investigated in human leukocytes from sepsis survivors as well as wild type and Park2−/− murine macrophages. In vivo, the impact of AMPK and Parkin was determined in mice subjected to polymicrobial intra-abdominal sepsis and secondary lung bacterial infections. Mice were treated with metformin during established immunosuppression. We showed that bacteria and mitochondria share mechanisms of autophagic killing/clearance triggered by sentinel events that involve depolarization of mitochondria and recruitment of Parkin in macrophages. Parkin-deficient mice/macrophages fail to form phagolysosomes and kill bacteria. This impairment of host defense is seen in the context of sepsis-induced immunosuppression with decreased levels of Parkin. AMPK activators, including metformin, stimulate Parkin-independent autophagy and bacterial killing in leukocytes from post-shock patients and in lungs of sepsis-immunosuppressed mice. Our results support a dual role of Parkin and AMPK in the clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria and killing of pathogenic bacteria, and explain the immunosuppressive phenotype associated Parkin and AMPK deficiency. AMPK activation appeared to be a crucial therapeutic target for the macrophage immunosuppressive phenotype and to reduce severity of secondary bacterial lung infections and respiratory failure.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel A Grisanti ◽  
Anna Gumpert ◽  
Joshua Gorsky ◽  
Ashley A Repas ◽  
Erhe Gao ◽  
...  

Inflammatory responses are important for cardiac remodeling and tissue repair after myocardial infarction (MI). The sympathetic nervous system is known to regulate immune responses, in large part through the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR), however the influence of β2AR in regulating the inflammatory response following MI is unknown. Thus, to examine the contribution of β2AR on immune cells following MI, wild-type (WT) mice were irradiated and then received β2ARKO or WT control bone marrow (BM) transplants to create immune cell-specific knockout (KO) animals. Lack of β2AR expression in BM resulted in 100% mortality from cardiac rupture within two weeks of receiving MI, in contrast to their WT counterparts that had ∼20% death. Granulocyte populations were sequestered in the spleen of β2ARKO chimeric mice resulting in reductions in post-MI infiltration of monocyte/macrophage, neutrophil and mast cell populations into the heart. Additionally, alterations in chemokine receptor levels, particularly CCR2, on BM resulted in decreased cellular migration, and use of a CCR2 antagonist in vivo recapitulated the β2ARKO chimeric mouse phenotype following MI. Administration of β2AR agonists in vitro and in vivo increased CCR2 expression and BM migration while β2AR antagonists decreased CCR2 expression and increased splenic leukocyte retention in vivo . Use of pepducins as allosteric modulators of β2AR signaling demonstrated the importance of β-arrestin-mediated signaling in increasing CCR2 expression and responses. The impact of β2AR deletion on BM cell CCR2 expression and migration, splenic retention of leukocytes and reciprocal cardiac leukocyte infiltration following MI could be reversed via lentivirus-mediated β2AR rescue in the β2ARKO BM prior to transplantation. These results demonstrate the critical role of β2AR in the regulation of CCR2 expression on hematopoietic cells and its importance in mounting an immune response to promote healing following acute cardiac injury.


mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moon H. Nahm ◽  
Jigui Yu ◽  
Jiri Vlach ◽  
Maor Bar-Peled

ABSTRACT We are exposed daily to many glycans from bacteria and food plants. Bacterial glycans are generally antigenic and elicit antibody responses. It is unclear if food glycans’ sharing of antigens with bacterial glycans influences our immune responses to bacteria. We studied 14 different plant foods for cross-reactivity with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against 24 pneumococcal serotypes which commonly cause infections and are included in pneumococcal vaccines. Serotype 15B-specific MAb cross-reacts with fruit peels, and serotype 10A MAb cross-reacts with many natural and processed plant foods. The serotype 10A cross-reactive epitope is 1,6-β-galactosidase [βGal(1-6)], present in the rhamno-galacturonan I (RG-I) domain of pectin. Despite wide consumption of pectin, the immune response to 10A is comparable to the responses to other serotypes. An antipectin antibody can opsonize serotype 10A pneumococci, and the shared βGal(1-6) may be useful as a simple vaccine against 10A. Impact of food glycans should be considered in host-pathogen interactions and future vaccine designs. IMPORTANCE The impact of food consumption on vaccine responses is unknown. Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is an important human pathogen, and its polysaccharide capsule is used as a vaccine. We show that capsule type 10A in a pneumococcal vaccine shares an antigenic epitope, βGal(1-6), with pectin, which is in many plant foods and is widely consumed. Immune response to 10A is comparable to that seen with other capsule types, and pectin ingestion may have little impact on vaccine responses. However, antibody to pectin can kill serotype 10A pneumococci and this shared epitope may be considered in pneumococcal vaccine designs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (09) ◽  
pp. 478-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waltraud Schrottmaier ◽  
Julia Kral ◽  
Sigrun Badrnya ◽  
Alice Assinger

SummaryPlatelets are key players in haemostasis and represent a pivotal link between inflammation, immunity and atherogenesis. Depending on the (patho)physiological environment platelets modulate various leukocyte functions via release of inflammatory mediators and direct cell-cell interactions. Elevated levels of circulating platelet-leukocyte aggregates are found in patients suffering from several thrombotic or inflammatory conditions. Platelet-monocyte and platelet-neutrophil interaction can trigger pro- and anti-inflammatory responses and modulate effector functions of all leukocyte subpopulations. These platelet-mediated immune responses have implications for the progression of cardiovascular diseases and also play a crucial role during infections, cancer, transplantations and other inflammatory diseases of several organs. Antiplatelet therapy including the COX inhibitor aspirin and/or ADP receptor P2Y12 inhibitors such as clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor are the therapy of choice for various cardiovascular complications. Both aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitors attenuate platelet-leukocyte interactions, thereby also modulating immune responses. This may have beneficial effects in some pathological conditions, while it might be detrimental in others. This review aims to summarise the current knowledge on platelet-leukocyte interactions and the impact of aspirin and P2Y12 inhibition on platelet-mediated immune responses and to give an overview on the effects of antiplatelet therapy on platelet-leukocyte interplay in various diseases.


2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 3880-3890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pornpimon Angkasekwinai ◽  
Nuntarat Sringkarin ◽  
Oratai Supasorn ◽  
Madtika Fungkrajai ◽  
Yui-Hsi Wang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCryptococcal infections are primarily caused by two related fungal species:Cryptococcus neoformansandCryptococcus gattii. It is well known thatC. neoformansgenerally affects immunocompromised hosts; however,C. gattiiinfection can cause diseases in not only immunocompromised hosts but also immunocompetent individuals. While recent studies suggest thatC. gattiiinfection could dampen pulmonary neutrophil recruitment and inflammatory cytokine production in immunocompetent hosts, the impact ofC. gattiiinfection on the development of their adaptive T helper cell immune response has not been addressed. Here, we report thatC. neoformansinfection with highly virulent and less virulent strains preferentially induced pulmonary Th1 and Th17 immune responses in the host, respectively. However, fewer pulmonary Th1 and Th17 cells could be detected in mice infected withC. gattiistrains. Notably, dendritic cells (DC) in mice infected withC. gattiiexpressed much lower levels of surface MHC-II andIl12orIl23transcripts and failed to induce effective Th1 and Th17 differentiationin vitro. Furthermore, the expression levels ofIp10andCxcl9transcripts, encoding Th1-attracting chemokines, were significantly reduced in the lungs of mice infected with the highly virulentC. gattiistrain. Thus, our data suggest thatC. gattiiinfection dampens the DC-mediated effective Th1/Th17 immune responses and downregulates the pulmonary chemokine expression, thus resulting in the inability to mount protective immunity in immunocompetent hosts.


2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (10) ◽  
pp. 3438-3453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélia Delauné ◽  
Sarah Dubrac ◽  
Charlène Blanchet ◽  
Olivier Poupel ◽  
Ulrike Mäder ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe WalKR two-component system is essential for the viability ofStaphylococcus aureus, playing a central role in controlling cell wall metabolism. We produced a constitutively active form of WalR inS. aureusthrough a phosphomimetic amino acid replacement (WalRc, D55E). The strain displayed significantly increased biofilm formation and alpha-hemolytic activity. Transcriptome analysis was used to determine the full extent of the WalKR regulon, revealing positive regulation of major virulence genes involved in host matrix interactions (efb,emp,fnbA, andfnbB), cytolysis (hlgACB,hla, andhlb), and innate immune defense evasion (scn,chp, andsbi), through activation of the SaeSR two-component system. The impact on pathogenesis of varying cell envelope dynamics was studied using a murine infection model, showing that strains producing constitutively active WalRcare strongly diminished in their virulence due to early triggering of the host inflammatory response associated with higher levels of released peptidoglycan fragments. Indeed, neutrophil recruitment and proinflammatory cytokine production were significantly increased when the constitutively activewalRcallele was expressed, leading to enhanced bacterial clearance. Taken together, our results indicate that WalKR play an important role in virulence and eliciting the host inflammatory response by controlling autolytic activity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Marie Clare Lydia Kharkrang

<p>Autoimmunities are extremely difficult to treat and involved in their pathogenesis are pro-inflammatory immune responses redirected against one's own tissues. Studies in our lab have shown macrophages that are induced to become type II macrophages protect against an animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), with protection due to immune deviation. Another way to deviate immune responses away from inflammation is by infection with the parasitic helminth Schistosoma mansoni, which also protects against EAE. The contribution of type II macrophages in this protection is unknown, as are the mechanisms involved in promoting the phenotype induced by type II activation. This project investigates key mechanisms involved in type II activation, while also elucidating the possible effect of schistosome exposure on the induction of this activation state. Using a validated model of type II activation in vitro, we compared the effects of schistosome immune complexes on various macrophage properties such as cytokine, surface marker and enzymatic profiles. This thesis identified that exposure to schistosome complexes induces a macrophage state with characteristics of two distinct activation states (type II and alternative activation), as well as completely novel characteristics. This activation state shows many phenotypic properties associated with immune regulation, and may have important consequences for understanding mechanisms involved in protection against inflammatory illnesses. We also investigated key mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory responses induced by type II activation. Cytokine, chemokine and surface marker profiles of macrophages were assessed in response to type II activation in vitro, with the main emphasis on determining the effects of IL-10 and CD40 on the type II activation phenotype and function. This investigation found that type II activated macrophages depend on low levels of CD40/CD40L signalling to polarise Th2 development, as the expression of receptors for Th2-inducing cytokines are significantly impaired in the absence of this interaction. This suggests an important role for the low but maintained levels of CD40 on type II activated macrophages, in aiding the deviation of immune responses, while maintaining Th2 polarization. We also suggest a suppressive role of CD40/CD40L in IL-10 production, which is a novel find. The requirement of new treatments for MS is escalating as more people are affected each year. The impact of MS on the quality of life is severe and long lasting. Having a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in deviating pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses will enable the development of much more effective treatments and therapies in the future.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruihan Shi ◽  
Lei Hou ◽  
Jue Liu

AbstractPorcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), which serves as a major causative agent of PCV2-associated diseases and causes severe loss to the pig industry worldwide, can dysregulate the immune response and induce immunosuppression in PCV2-infected pigs. Similar to PCV2, porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3), a newly identified swine circovirus which might be closely associated with porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome, reproductive disorder, and multisystemic inflammatory responses, also interferes with host immune defense. Interaction between host immune system and PCVs is considered to be a crucial determinant of pathogenicity in pigs. Here, we sought to briefly discuss the current knowledge regarding the interaction of porcine circovirus type 2 and/or 3 with host immune cells and immune responses to better depict the viral immunomodulatory capacity, pathogenic mechanisms, and the future research direction in host immune responses to infection with PCV2 and PCV3.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Erika S. Guimarães ◽  
Fabio V. Marinho ◽  
Nina M. G. P. de Queiroz ◽  
Maísa M. Antunes ◽  
Sergio C. Oliveira

The early detection of bacterial pathogens through immune sensors is an essential step in innate immunity. STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) has emerged as a key mediator of inflammation in the setting of infection by connecting pathogen cytosolic recognition with immune responses. STING detects bacteria by directly recognizing cyclic dinucleotides or indirectly by bacterial genomic DNA sensing through the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS). Upon activation, STING triggers a plethora of powerful signaling pathways, including the production of type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines. STING activation has also been associated with the induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the associated inflammatory responses. Recent reports indicate that STING-dependent pathways participate in the metabolic reprogramming of macrophages and contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a robust inflammatory profile. The induction of this inflammatory state is typically antimicrobial and related to pathogen clearance. However, depending on the infection, STING-mediated immune responses can be detrimental to the host, facilitating bacterial survival, indicating an intricate balance between immune signaling and inflammation during bacterial infections. In this paper, we review recent insights regarding the role of STING in inducing an inflammatory profile upon intracellular bacterial entry in host cells and discuss the impact of STING signaling on the outcome of infection. Unraveling the STING-mediated inflammatory responses can enable a better understanding of the pathogenesis of certain bacterial diseases and reveal the potential of new antimicrobial therapy.


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