scholarly journals Self-DNA Sensing by cGAS-STING and TLR9 in Autoimmunity: Is the Cytoskeleton in Control?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Amadio ◽  
Giulia Maria Piperno ◽  
Federica Benvenuti
Keyword(s):  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Intracellular Transport ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Primary Immune Deficiency ◽  
Type I ◽  
Dna Sensing

Modified or misplaced DNA can be recognized as a danger signal by mammalian cells. Activation of cellular responses to DNA has evolved as a defense mechanism to microbial infections, cellular stress, and tissue damage, yet failure to control this mechanism can lead to autoimmune diseases. Several monogenic and multifactorial autoimmune diseases have been associated with type-I interferons and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) induced by deregulated recognition of self-DNA. Hence, understanding how cellular mechanism controls the pathogenic responses to self-nucleic acid has important clinical implications. Fine-tuned membrane trafficking and cellular compartmentalization are two major factors that balance activation of DNA sensors and availability of self-DNA ligands. Intracellular transport and organelle architecture are in turn regulated by cytoskeletal dynamics, yet the precise impact of actin remodeling on DNA sensing remains elusive. This review proposes a critical analysis of the established and hypothetical connections between self-DNA recognition and actin dynamics. As a paradigm of this concept, we discuss recent evidence of deregulated self-DNA sensing in the prototypical actin-related primary immune deficiency (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome). We anticipate a broader impact of actin-dependent processes on tolerance to self-DNA in autoimmune disorders.

scholarly journals Cellular uptake of extracellular nucleosomes induces innate immune responses by binding and activating cGMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huawei Wang ◽  
Chuanlong Zang ◽  
Mengtian Ren ◽  
Mengdi Shang ◽  
Zhenghua Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Responses ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Circulatory System ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Type I ◽  
Binding Affinities ◽  
Innate Immune Responses ◽  
Monocytic Cells

Abstract The nucleosome is the basic structural repeating unit of chromatin. DNA damage and cell apoptosis release nucleosomes into the blood circulatory system, and increased levels of circulating nucleosomes have been observed to be related to inflammation and autoimmune diseases. However, how circulating nucleosomes trigger immune responses has not been fully elucidated. cGAS (cGMP-AMP synthase) is a recently discovered pattern recognition receptor that senses cytoplasmic double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In this study, we employed in vitro reconstituted nucleosomes to examine whether extracellular nucleosomes can gain access to the cytoplasm of mammalian cells to induce immune responses by activating cGAS. We showed that nucleosomes can be taken up by various mammalian cells. Additionally, we found that in vitro reconstituted mononucleosomes and oligonucleosomes can be recognized by cGAS. Compared to dsDNA, nucleosomes exhibit higher binding affinities to cGAS but considerably lower potency in cGAS activation. Incubation of monocytic cells with reconstituted nucleosomes leads to limited production of type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines via a cGAS-dependent mechanism. This proof-of-concept study reveals the cGAS-dependent immunogenicity of nucleosomes and highlights the potential roles of circulating nucleosomes in autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and antitumour immunity.

Sterol and lipid trafficking in mammalian cells

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.R. Maxfield ◽  
M. Mondal
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Intracellular Transport ◽  
Vesicular Transport ◽  
Cholesterol Content ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Lipid Trafficking ◽  
Sterol Transport ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Asymmetrically Distributed

The pathways involved in the intracellular transport and distribution of lipids in general, and sterols in particular, are poorly understood. Cholesterol plays a major role in modulating membrane bilayer structure and important cellular functions, including signal transduction and membrane trafficking. Both the overall cholesterol content of a cell, as well as its distribution in specific organellar membranes are stringently regulated. Several diseases, many of which are incurable at present, have been characterized as results of impaired cholesterol transport and/or storage in the cells. Despite their importance, many fundamental aspects of intracellular sterol transport and distribution are not well understood. For instance, the relative roles of vesicular and non-vesicular transport of cholesterol have not yet been fully determined, nor are the non-vesicular transport mechanisms well characterized. Similarly, whether cholesterol is asymmetrically distributed between the two leaflets of biological membranes, and if so, how this asymmetry is maintained, is poorly understood. In this review, we present a summary of the current understanding of these aspects of intracellular trafficking and distribution of lipids, and more specifically, of sterols.

scholarly journals The opportunistic intracellular bacterial pathogen Rhodococcus equi elicits type I interferons by engaging cytosolic DNA sensing in macrophages

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystal J Vail ◽  
Bibiana Petri da Silveira ◽  
Samantha L Bell ◽  
Angela I Bordin ◽  
Noah D Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Rhodococcus Equi ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type I Ifn ◽  
Dna Sensing ◽  
Interferon Stimulated Genes ◽  
Galectin 3 ◽  
Dna Release

Rhodococcus equi is a major cause of foal pneumonia and an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised humans. While alveolar macrophages constitute the primary replicative niche for R. equi, little is known about how intracellular R. equi is sensed by macrophages. Here, we discovered that that in addition to previously characterized pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., Tnfa, Il6, Il1b), macrophages infected with R. equi induce a robust type I IFN response, including Ifnb and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), similar to the evolutionarily related pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Follow up studies using a combination of mammalian and bacterial genetics, demonstrated that induction of this type I IFN expression program is largely dependent on the cGAS/STING/TBK1 axis of the cytosolic DNA surveillance pathway, suggesting that R. equi perturbs the phagosomal membrane and causes DNA release into the cytosol following phagocytosis. Consistent with this we found that a population of ~12% of R. equi phagosomes recruited the galectin-3, -8 and -9 danger receptors. Interesting, neither phagosomal damage nor induction of type I IFN required the R. equi's virulence-associated plasmid. Importantly, R. equi infection of both mice and foals stimulated ISG expression, in organs (mice) and circulating monocytes (foals). By demonstrating that R. equi activates cytosolic DNA sensing in macrophages and elicits type I IFN responses in animal models, our work provides novel insights into how R. equi engages the innate immune system and furthers our understanding how this zoonotic pathogen causes inflammation and disease.

scholarly journals Roles of Emerging RNA-Binding Activity of cGAS in Innate Antiviral Response

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuying Ma ◽  
Xiaohui Wang ◽  
Weisheng Luo ◽  
Ji Xiao ◽  
Xiaowei Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Antiviral Response ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Type I ◽  
Innate Antiviral Response

cGAS, a DNA sensor in mammalian cells, catalyzes the generation of 2’-3’-cyclic AMP-GMP (cGAMP) once activated by the binding of free DNA. cGAMP can bind to STING, activating downstream TBK1-IRF-3 signaling to initiate the expression of type I interferons. Although cGAS has been considered a traditional DNA-binding protein, several lines of evidence suggest that cGAS is a potential RNA-binding protein (RBP), which is mainly supported by its interactions with RNAs, RBP partners, RNA/cGAS-phase-separations as well as its structural similarity with the dsRNA recognition receptor 2’-5’ oligoadenylate synthase. Moreover, two influential studies reported that the cGAS-like receptors (cGLRs) of fly Drosophila melanogaster sense RNA and control 3′-2′-cGAMP signaling. In this review, we summarize and discuss in depth recent studies that identified or implied cGAS as an RBP. We also comprehensively summarized current experimental methods and computational tools that can identify or predict RNAs that bind to cGAS. Based on these discussions, we appeal that the RNA-binding activity of cGAS cannot be ignored in the cGAS-mediated innate antiviral response. It will be important to identify RNAs that can bind and regulate the activity of cGAS in cells with or without virus infection. Our review provides novel insight into the regulation of cGAS by its RNA-binding activity and extends beyond its DNA-binding activity. Our review would be significant for understanding the precise modulation of cGAS activity, providing the foundation for the future development of drugs against cGAS-triggering autoimmune diseases such as Aicardi-Gourtières syndrome.

scholarly journals A host type I interferon response is induced by cytosolic sensing of the bacterial second messenger cyclic-di-GMP

2009 ◽  
Vol 206 (9) ◽  
pp. 1899-1911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. McWhirter ◽  
Roman Barbalat ◽  
Kathryn M. Monroe ◽  
Mary F. Fontana ◽  
Mamoru Hyodo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Map Kinases ◽  
Second Messenger ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Guanosine Monophosphate ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Interferon Response ◽  
Type I

The innate immune system responds to unique molecular signatures that are widely conserved among microbes but that are not normally present in host cells. Compounds that stimulate innate immune pathways may be valuable in the design of novel adjuvants, vaccines, and other immunotherapeutics. The cyclic dinucleotide cyclic-di–guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is a recently appreciated second messenger that plays critical regulatory roles in many species of bacteria but is not produced by eukaryotic cells. In vivo and in vitro studies have previously suggested that c-di-GMP is a potent immunostimulatory compound recognized by mouse and human cells. We provide evidence that c-di-GMP is sensed in the cytosol of mammalian cells via a novel immunosurveillance pathway. The potency of cytosolic signaling induced by c-di-GMP is comparable to that induced by cytosolic delivery of DNA, and both nucleic acids induce a similar transcriptional profile, including triggering of type I interferons and coregulated genes via induction of TBK1, IRF3, nuclear factor κB, and MAP kinases. However, the cytosolic pathway that senses c-di-GMP appears to be distinct from all known nucleic acid–sensing pathways. Our results suggest a novel mechanism by which host cells can induce an inflammatory response to a widely produced bacterial ligand.

scholarly journals cGAMP: A tale of two signals

2017 ◽  
Vol 214 (12) ◽  
pp. 3471-3473
Author(s):  
Teneema Kuriakose ◽  
Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti
Keyword(s):  
Second Messenger ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Type I ◽  
Dna Sensing

In this issue of JEM, Swanson et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20171749) report an unanticipated role for cGAMP in priming and activation of inflammasomes in addition to its well-characterized function as an endogenous second messenger inducing type I interferons in the cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway.

scholarly journals Crosstalk between Interleukin-1β and Type I Interferons Signaling in Autoinflammatory Diseases

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1134
Author(s):  
Philippe Georgel
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Rheumatic Diseases ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Interleukin 1Β ◽  
Type I ◽  
Downstream Signaling ◽  
Type I Ifns ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and type I interferons (IFNs) are major cytokines involved in autoinflammatory/autoimmune diseases. Separately, the overproduction of each of these cytokines is well described and constitutes the hallmark of inflammasomopathies and interferonopathies, respectively. While their interaction and the crosstalk between their downstream signaling pathways has been mostly investigated in the frame of infectious diseases, little information on their interconnection is still available in the context of autoinflammation promoted by sterile triggers. In this review, we will examine the respective roles of IL-1β and type I IFNs in autoinflammatory/rheumatic diseases and analyze their potential connections in the pathophysiology of some of these diseases, which could reveal novel therapeutic opportunities.

Type I Interferons in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiao Jiang ◽  
Ming Zhao ◽  
Christopher Chang ◽  
Haijing Wu ◽  
Qianjin Lu
Keyword(s):  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Type I

Type I interferons as biomarkers in autoimmune diseases

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
George D Kalliolias ◽  
Kyriakos A Kirou
Keyword(s):  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Type I

scholarly journals Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation exacerbates experimental colitis in mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary R. Martin ◽  
Charlene M. Blomquist ◽  
Kimiora L. Henare ◽  
Frank R. Jirik
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Experimental Colitis ◽  
Sodium Sulphate ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Type I ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Murine Bone Marrow ◽  
Cytoplasmic Dna ◽  
Cyclic Dinucleotides

Abstract Detection of cytoplasmic DNA by the host’s innate immune system is essential for microbial and endogenous pathogen recognition. In mammalian cells, an important sensor is the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) protein, which upon activation by bacterially-derived cyclic dinucleotides (cDNs) or cytosolic dsDNA (dsDNA), triggers type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Given the abundance of bacterially-derived cDNs in the gut, we determined whether STING deletion, or stimulation, acts to modulate the severity of intestinal inflammation in the dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) model of colitis. DSS was administered to Tmem173gt (STING-mutant) mice and to wild-type mice co-treated with DSS and a STING agonist. Colitis severity was markedly reduced in the DSS-treated Tmem173gt mice and greatly exacerbated in wild-type mice co-treated with the STING agonist. STING expression levels were also assessed in colonic tissues, murine bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs), and human THP-1 cells. M1 and M2 polarized THP-1 and murine BMDMs were also stimulated with STING agonists and ligands to assess their responses. STING expression was increased in both murine and human M1 polarized macrophages and a STING agonist repolarized M2 macrophages towards an M1-like subtype. Our results suggest that STING is involved in the host’s response to acutely-induced colitis.

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