内毒素耐受的机制研究

内毒素是革兰阴性菌细胞壁的成分,能够激发机体的免疫反应。当细菌释放大量的内毒素到血液,即可引起内毒素血症,内毒素血症可以伴随多种疾病出现,引起致死性感染性休克,循环功能衰竭,其病死率极高。内毒素耐受是指机体接受小剂量内毒素刺激后对后续内毒素刺激的反应性降低,表现为促炎因子释放减少而抗炎因子释放增加,机体发热,缺氧,低血压,休克的症状减轻。内毒素耐受的发生机制极其复杂,受机体内多种因素的调节,但目前尚无明确的结论。近年来,有关其机制的研究有许多报道,其中,对内毒素耐受的信号机制的研究最为广泛,大量的研究表明内毒素的主要受体,细胞内的信号蛋白,负调控因子以及转录因子可能在内毒素耐受的发生过程中起重要作用。也有报道表明免疫细胞的凋亡,染色体修饰和基因重排以及小RNA的参与可能诱导内毒素耐受的发生。本文从细胞、分子水平对内毒素耐受的发生机制进行综述,拟对炎症性疾病如内毒素血症的预防和治疗提供理论依据。     

内毒素耐受性与TLR4信号通路

内毒素(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)耐受性普遍存在,并与其他病原微生物致病因子(LAM、STF等)存在交叉耐受性。不同种类LPS产生耐受性的可能性与机制不同。TLR4作为LPS靶细胞膜上的跨膜受体,主要介导LPS信号的跨膜转导,TLR4结构与功能的改变,以及TLR4信号通路中各个环节(MD2、MyD88、IRAK、IκB、NF—κB、炎症因子)的功能缺陷,都将导致LPS耐受性的产生。     

内毒素诱发鸡多脏器损伤及其对肝TLR4 mRNA表达影响

选取20日龄肉仔鸡随机分为四组,实验组A（灌服LPS100EU／Kg）、B（灌服LPS200EU／Kg）、C（灌服LPS300EU／Kg）和对照组D（灌服生理盐水）。检测不同剂量的LPS在不同时间对鸡多脏器损伤以及内毒素识别因子肝脏Toll样受体4mRNA表达的影响,为进一步揭示禽内毒素血症的发病机理提供依据。实验表明：12～24h是LPS诱发多脏器损伤并引起TLR4表达异常的敏感期,12h肝组织TLR4mRNA的表达水平降至最低,24h后开始回升且随着LPS攻毒剂量的增加,TLR4表达水平回升的速度递减,至48h仍无法达到正常表达水平,这可能与肝细胞作为腺上皮细胞参与TLR4表达调节或机体对抗过度炎症反应而产生的一种保护性反馈引起。     

TRAF7的研究进展

TRAFs家族是一类多功能蛋白,最初是作为TNFR介导的信号通路中的转导分子而被发现的。TRAFs作为信号接头蛋白和调节分子,参与了TNFR、TLRs、NLRs和RLRs等多种受体介导的信号通路。TRAF7是最新发现的TRAF家族成员,因其保守的RING结构域,而具有E3泛素连接酶活性。此外,TRAF7还以其独特机制参与了MAP激酶、TNFR及TLR2介导的信号通路的转导,以及细胞应激、分化和凋亡等重要生理过程的调控,与乳腺癌、脑膜瘤等多种疾病的发生密切相关。结合最新研究进展对TRAF7的结构、功能及其参与的生物学过程进行综述。     

TLR4在哺乳动物对脂多糖反应中的作用

Toll信号转导通路在果蝇的发育和天然免疫反应中起重要作用.最近在小鼠进行的定点克隆研究表明Lps位座编码一种Toll样受体TLR4,该受体作为LPS受体复合物的跨膜成分而转导脂多糖(LPS)信号,而其相关蛋白TLR2则在其他病原体微生物介导的细胞反应中起作用.TLR4的发现使我们对LPS信号转导通路的认识前进了一大步.     

LPS的胞内受体Caspase-11的研究进展

以往的研究认为,TLR4是内毒素(LPS)的胞膜受体.新近的研究发现含半胱氨酸的天冬氨酸蛋白水解酶11(Caspase-11,Casp11)可能在胞内LPS的识别中发挥关键作用.Caspase-11与胞内LPS结合后被激活.活化的Casp-11一方面剪切下游gasdermin D分子进而介导细胞焦亡(pyroptosis),另一方面激活NLRP3/ASC-Casp-1通路,使细胞分泌促炎因子IL-1β和IL-18等.Casp-11还能通过促进吞噬体和溶酶体融合,增强细胞对革兰氏阴性菌的杀灭.在严重内毒素血症过程中,由于Casp-11过度活化,大量细胞发生焦亡,致使大量胞内促炎介质被释放到胞外,导致机体出现难以调控的炎症反应,最终发展成内毒素休克.Casp-11是内毒素休克发生的关键分子.本文对Casp-11在LPS的识别、活化及效应方面的最新进展进行综述.     

Toll样受体4与病毒感染的研究进展

Toll样受体4（TLR4）是固有免疫系统中能够识别病原相关分子模式的受体家族成员,可识别革兰氏阴性菌的脂多糖（LPS）而在细菌感染性疾病的发生中起重要作用。近年来越来越多的研究发现,TLR4还广泛参与病毒感染性疾病的发生和病毒的免疫逃逸,由于其信号转导通路的独特性和细胞定位的可变性,再次引起人们极大的研究兴趣。该文将介绍TLR4的生物学特性、信号转导通路及TLR4与病毒感染的最新研究进展。     

β-Arrestins参与GPCRs信号通路的分子机制

β-抑制蛋白(β arrestins)是一类在β肾上腺素受体激酶（βARK)提纯过程中发现的重要支架蛋白和信号调控因子;G蛋白偶联受体（GPCRs）为7次跨膜受体,在细胞信号转导中发挥关键作用,是很多临床药物的作用靶点. β-抑制蛋白作为衔接蛋白,调控GPCRs相关的信号通路,介导GPCRs的脱敏、内化、循环、复敏等生理过程,影响多种疾病的进程. 本文总结了β-抑制蛋白参与GPCRs信号通路的研究进展,侧重阐明了其中的分子机制,以期为开发新一代调控GPCRs功能活性的相关药物提供理论基础.     

选择性剪接在Toll样受体4信号转导通路中的作用

Toll样受体4(Toll-likereceptor4,TLR4)属于模式识别受体,可识别来自G-细菌细胞壁的脂多糖(lipopoly-saccharides,LPS),并通过MyD88依赖途径或MyD88非依赖途径进行信号转导,引发核因子-κB(NF-κB)和其他转录因子的表达,从而诱导细胞因子、化学趋化因子的产生,引起系统性炎症反应。选择性剪接是真核生物控制基因表达的一种重要机制,在TLR4通路中很多信号分子都存在着选择性剪接产生的异构体,且这些剪接异构体分子大都可负性调控TLR4信号转导通路。本文针对这方面的研究进展作一综述。     

鼻咽癌细胞5-8F通过TLR4介导的信号通路对革兰氏阴性细菌脂多糖的反应性研究

鼻咽上皮细胞无时无刻不暴露和接触到共生微生物与病原微生物,机体依靠天然防御系统和抗原识别的适应性免疫反应系统来进行自我保护.慢性感染的重要毒力因素被认为是革兰氏阴性细菌细胞壁的主要成分脂多糖(LPS),对LPS的识别与信号传导是宿主细胞抵御革兰氏阴性细菌的关键.通过流式细胞术、RT-PCR等研究发现,5-8F细胞可与LPS相结合并产生反应,且其受LPS调节的机制是由于5-8F细胞中存在LPS受体分子如CD14、TLR4与MD2等的表达.同时应用免疫荧光、蛋白质印迹、荧光素酶报告系统等研究发现,5-8F细胞可受到LPS的诱导而活化TLR4的下游信号传导通路.5-8F细胞在LPS的诱导下,磷酸化NFκBp65的表达增加,并且使NFκBp65活化迁移至核内.研究还发现,LPS增加TNF-α全长启动子活性,同时LPS可使5-8F细胞中TNF-α的分泌增加,从而介导炎性因子的释放.因此,5-8F细胞可通过与LPS受体分子:CD14、TLR4及MD2与LPS相结合并反应,从而激活TLR4介导的NFκB信号通路,使炎性因子的释放增加,导致鼻咽部的炎症反应诱发鼻咽癌.     

Recent advances in endotoxin tolerance

Endotoxin tolerance is defined as a reduced capacity of a cell to respond endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) challenge after an initial encounter with endotoxin in advance. The body becomes tolerant to subsequent challenge with a lethal dose of endotoxin and cytokines release and cell/tissue damage induced by inflammatory reaction are significantly reduced in the state of endotoxin tolerance. The main characteristics of endotoxin tolerance are downregulation of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) and upregulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Therefore, endotoxin tolerance is often regarded as the regulatory mechanism of the host against excessive inflammation. Endotoxin tolerance is a complex pathophysiological process and involved in multiple cellular signal pathways, receptor alterations, and biological molecules. However, the exact mechanism remains elusive up to date. To better understand the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of endotoxin tolerance, it is crucial to investigate the comprehensive cellular signal pathways, signaling proteins, cell surface molecules, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and other mediators. Endotoxin tolerance plays an important role in reducing the mortality of sepsis, endotoxin shock, and other endotoxin-related diseases. Recent reports indicated that endotoxin tolerance is also related to other diseases such as cystic fibrosis, acute coronary syndrome, liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, and cancer. The aim of this review is to discuss the recent advances in endotoxin tolerance mainly based on the cellular and molecular mechanisms by outline the current state of the knowledge of the involvement of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathways, negative regulate factor, microRNAs, apoptosis, chromatin modification, and gene reprogramming of immune cells in endotoxin tolerance. We hope to provide a new idea and scientific basis for the rational treatment of endotoxin-related diseases such as endotoxemia, sepsis, and endotoxin shock clinically.     

脂多糖信号通路中的蛋白质修饰

革兰氏阴性细菌外膜中的脂多糖,又称内毒素,感染宿主后可导致脓毒症、脓毒性休克和多器官功能障碍综合症. 脂多糖借助信号转导通路诱发宿主的应答,刺激免疫细胞产生大量具有致热效应的炎性细胞因子,引起免疫系统的过度活化. 近年来,研究脂多糖受体TLR4及其信号转导在先天免疫和获得性免疫中的作用,以及脂多糖信号通路的复杂调控机制取得了突破性进展. 其中蛋白质翻译后修饰参与脂多糖信号通路调节的研究成为这一领域的新热点之一. 本文总结了磷酸化修饰、泛素化修饰、ISG15化修饰和SUMO化修饰在调节脂多糖信号通路方面的作用.不仅对被修饰蛋白如何传递和调节脂多糖信号以及翻译后修饰在该过程中的作用进行了阐述,还着眼于不同翻译后修饰形式之间的关联.脂多糖信号通路的深入研究不但有助于阐明内毒素相关疾病的分子机理,还可为临床预防和治疗革兰氏阴性细菌感染所致疾病提供新靶点.     

Pellino-1 Positively Regulates Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 Signaling and Is Suppressed upon Induction of Endotoxin Tolerance

Endotoxin tolerance reprograms Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4-mediated macrophage responses by attenuating induction of proinflammatory cytokines while retaining expression of anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial mediators. We previously demonstrated deficient TLR4-induced activation of IL-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) 4, IRAK1, and TANK-binding kinase (TBK) 1 as critical hallmarks of endotoxin tolerance, but mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we examined the role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Pellino-1 in endotoxin tolerance and TLR signaling. LPS stimulation increased Pellino-1 mRNA and protein expression in macrophages from mice injected with saline and in medium-pretreated human monocytes, THP-1, and MonoMac-6 cells, whereas endotoxin tolerization abrogated LPS inducibility of Pellino-1. Overexpression of Pellino-1 in 293/TLR2 and 293/TLR4/MD2 cells enhanced TLR2- and TLR4-induced nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and expression of IL-8 mRNA, whereas Pellino-1 knockdown reduced these responses. Pellino-1 ablation in THP-1 cells impaired induction of myeloid differentiation primary response protein (MyD88), and Toll-IL-1R domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-β (TRIF)-dependent cytokine genes in response to TLR4 and TLR2 agonists and heat-killed Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas only weakly affecting phagocytosis of heat-killed bacteria. Co-expressed Pellino-1 potentiated NF-κB activation driven by transfected MyD88, TRIF, IRAK1, TBK1, TGF-β-activated kinase (TAK) 1, and TNFR-associated factor 6, whereas not affecting p65-induced responses. Mechanistically, Pellino-1 increased LPS-driven K63-linked polyubiquitination of IRAK1, TBK1, TAK1, and phosphorylation of TBK1 and IFN regulatory factor 3. These results reveal a novel mechanism by which endotoxin tolerance re-programs TLR4 signaling via suppression of Pellino-1, a positive regulator of MyD88- and TRIF-dependent signaling that promotes K63-linked polyubiquitination of IRAK1, TBK1, and TAK1.     

Dysregulation of LPS-induced Toll-like receptor 4-MyD88 complex formation and IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 activation in endotoxin-tolerant cells

Prior exposure to LPS induces a transient state of cell refractoriness to subsequent LPS restimulation, known as endotoxin tolerance. Induction of LPS tolerance has been reported to correlate with decreased cell surface expression of the LPS receptor complex, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2. However, other results have underscored the existence of mechanisms of LPS tolerance that operate downstream of TLR4/MD-2. In the present study we sought to delineate further the molecular basis of LPS tolerance by examining the TLR4 signaling pathway in endotoxin-tolerant cells. Pretreatment of human monocytes with LPS decreased LPS-mediated NF-kappaB activation, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, and TNF-alpha gene expression, documenting the induction of endotoxin tolerance. FACS and Western blot analyses of LPS-tolerant monocytes showed increased TLR2 expression, whereas TLR4 expression levels were not affected. Comparable levels of mRNA and protein for myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), IL-1R-associated kinase 1 (IRAK-1), and TNFR-associated factor-6 were found in normal and LPS-tolerant monocytes, while MD-2 mRNA expression was slightly increased in LPS-tolerant cells. LPS induced the association of MyD88 with TLR4 and increased IRAK-1 activity in medium-pretreated cells. In LPS-tolerant monocytes, however, MyD88 failed to be recruited to TLR4, and IRAK-1 was not activated in response to LPS stimulation. Moreover, endotoxin-tolerant CHO cells that overexpress human TLR4 and MD-2 also showed decreased IRAK-1 kinase activity in response to LPS despite the failure of LPS to inhibit cell surface expression of transfected TLR4 and MD-2 proteins. Thus, decreased TLR4-MyD88 complex formation with subsequent impairment of IRAK-1 activity may underlie the LPS-tolerant phenotype.     

Cutting edge: cells that carry A null allele for toll-like receptor 2 are capable of responding to endotoxin.

Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 have been implicated in the responses of cells to LPS (endotoxin). CD14-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 fibroblasts (CHO/CD14) are exquisitely sensitive to endotoxin. Sequence analysis of CHO-TLR2, compared with human and mouse TLR2, revealed a single base pair deletion. This frameshift mutation resulted in an alternative stop codon, encoding a protein devoid of transmembrane and intracellular domains. CHO-TLR2 cDNA failed to enable LPS signaling upon transient transfection into human epithelial kidney 293 cells. Site-directed mutagenesis of CHO-TLR2 enabled expression of a presumed full-length hamster TLR2 that conferred LPS responsiveness in human epithelial kidney 293 cells. Genomic TLR2 DNA from primary hamster macrophages also contained the frameshift mutation found in CHO fibroblasts. Nevertheless, hamster peritoneal macrophages were found to respond normally to LPS, as evidenced by the induction of cytokines. These results imply that expression of TLR2 is sufficient but not essential for mammalian responses to endotoxin.     

Proinflammatory cytokine production in liver regeneration is Myd88-dependent, but independent of Cd14, Tlr2, and Tlr4

TNF and IL-6 are considered to be important to the initiation or priming phase of liver regeneration. However, the signaling pathways that lead to the production of these cytokines after partial hepatectomy (PH) have not been identified. Enteric-derived LPS appears to be important to liver regeneration, possibly by stimulating proinflammatory cytokine production after surgery. To determine whether LPS signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-6 during the priming phase of liver regeneration, we performed PH on mice lacking the TLRs Tlr4 and Tlr2, the LPS coreceptor, Cd14, and Myd88, an adapter protein involved in most TLR and IL-1R pathways. In MyD88 knockout (KO) mice after PH, both liver Tnf mRNA and circulating IL-6 levels were severely depressed compared with heterozygous or wild-type mice. Activation of STAT-3 and three STAT-3 responsive genes, Socs3, Cd14, and serum amyloid A2 were also blocked. In contrast, Tlr4, Tlr2, and Cd14 KO mice showed no deficits in the production of IL-6. Surprisingly, none of these KO mice showed any delay in hepatocyte replication. These data indicate that the LPS receptor TLR4, as well as TLR2 and CD14, do not play roles in regulating cytokine production or DNA replication after PH. In contrast, MyD88-dependent pathways appear to be responsible for TNF, IL-6, and their downstream signaling pathways.     

Role for MyD88-independent, TRIF pathway in lipid A/TLR4-induced endotoxin tolerance

Repeated exposure to low doses of endotoxin results in progressive hyporesponsiveness to subsequent endotoxin challenge, a phenomenon known as endotoxin tolerance. In spite of its clinical significance in sepsis and characterization of the TLR4 signaling pathway as the principal endotoxin detection mechanism, the molecular determinants that induce tolerance remain obscure. We investigated the role of the TRIF/IFN-beta pathway in TLR4-induced endotoxin tolerance. Lipid A-induced homotolerance was characterized by the down-regulation of MyD88-dependent proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and CCL3, but up-regulation of TRIF-dependent cytokine IFN-beta. This correlated with a molecular phenotype of defective NF-kappaB activation but a functional TRIF-dependent STAT1 signaling. Tolerance-induced suppression of TNF-alpha and CCL3 expression was significantly relieved by TRIF and IFN regulatory factor 3 deficiency, suggesting the involvement of the TRIF pathway in tolerance. Alternatively, selective activation of TRIF by poly(I:C)-induced tolerance to lipid A. Furthermore, pretreatment with rIFN-beta also induced tolerance, whereas addition of IFN-beta-neutralizing Ab during the tolerization partially alleviated tolerance to lipid A but not TLR2-induced endotoxin homo- or heterotolerance. Furthermore, IFNAR1-/- murine embryonal fibroblast and bone-marrow derived macrophages failed to induce tolerance. Together, these observations constitute evidence for a role of the TRIF/IFN-beta pathway in the regulation of lipid A/TLR4-mediated endotoxin homotolerance.