昆虫的NF-κB信号通路

昆虫NF-κB信号通路由toll和imd两条通路组成,通过转录因子NF-κB作用于靶标基因κB位点,而调节抗菌活性物质的表达。大量实验表明它能够被细菌、真菌和病毒的侵染所激活,在昆虫体液免疫中发挥着主要作用。现就昆虫的NF-κB信号通路的主要信号元件等进行综述。     

SOCS家族蛋白在病毒感染中发挥的作用

SOCS(Suppressor of cytokine signaling),是一种细胞因子信号通路抑制蛋白,目前认为该蛋白家族可以调节LIF(Leukemia inhibitory factor)、G-CSF(Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor)、IL-6(Interleukin-6)、IL-10(Interleukin-10)、IFN-λ(interferon-λ)等30多种细胞因子,而这些因子是机体抵抗入侵的外来病原体的主要免疫防御反应。病毒在感染宿主的过程中通过劫持宿主中的SOCS蛋白,从而对细胞中的JAK/STAT、NF-κB等与抗病毒因子调控相关的信号通路以及对T细胞的分化的调控调节病毒感染。近年来,大量的文献证实SOCS蛋白的变化与病毒感染的程度以及愈后的器官损伤具有紧密的联系,使得SOCS蛋白作为抗病毒靶点的研究尤为重要。本文主要讨论SOCS蛋白通过调控JAK-STAT、NF-κB等信号通路,在病毒感染过程中发挥的作用和作用机制。     

黑腹果蝇先天免疫研究进展

先天免疫是昆虫适应复杂环境的关键,也是新型害虫防治的重要研究方向。昆虫通过模式识别受体识别环境中不同的病原物,激活先天免疫系统以清除病原物。昆虫的先天免疫系统主要包括体液免疫与细胞免疫,体液免疫包括免疫信号通路诱导产生抗菌肽、活性氧以及黑化作用等,细胞免疫包括血细胞的吞噬、包囊和凝结。本文将重点总结黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster在模式识别受体、免疫信号通路和细胞免疫相关方面的研究进展,为进一步研究其他经济昆虫与农业害虫的免疫机制,提高生产经济效益提供参考。     

20-羟基蜕皮酮调控昆虫先天免疫的分子机制研究进展

昆虫先天免疫(innate immunity)包括细胞免疫(cellular immunity)和体液免疫(humoral immunity)。近年来研究表明,作为昆虫生长发育调节的关键激素之一,20-羟基蜕皮酮(20-hydroxyecdysone, 20E)参与调节了昆虫的先天免疫。本文在介绍昆虫免疫机制的基础上,重点阐述20E调控昆虫先天免疫及微生物影响20E滴度的分子调控机制。20E可以激活细胞免疫和体液免疫来对抗外源入侵微生物,而外源微生物的刺激也会通过3-脱氢蜕皮激素-3β-还原酶(3-dehydroecdysteroid-3β-reductase, 3DE-3β-reductase)促进20E滴度升高。20E对昆虫免疫系统有显著影响,其滴度升高可以激活细胞免疫,包括吞噬(phagocytosis)、包被(encapsulation)和结节(nodulation);而对体液免疫的影响则比较复杂,除可以加速黑化作用(menalization)外,对抗菌肽的表达究竟是促进还是抑制尚不明确。研究人员鉴定发现了一些20E调控体液免疫的关键基因,这些基因的作用途径总结起来可以分为3类:(1)依赖于Toll和IMD等先天免疫通路;(2)依赖于胰岛素(insulin)信号途径;(3)依赖于20E信号通路因子BR-C等的直接调控。但这些通路因子究竟是如何互作以及其分子调控机制等都尚不清楚,值得进一步深入探讨。     

沙门菌毒力效应蛋白对宿主NF-κB信号通路的调控

沙门菌(Salmonella)通过向宿主细胞分泌毒力效应蛋白(effector protein)来调控细胞内一系列的信号传导通路,从而有利于沙门菌的侵染和繁殖。NF-κB信号通路在宿主对病原菌的炎症反应及免疫应答中发挥着重要的作用,也是很多毒力效应蛋白调控的靶点。沙门菌致病岛(Salmonella pathogenicity island,SPI)-1上的毒力效应蛋白Sip A、Sop E、Sop E2和Sop B都能激活宿主细胞的NF-κB信号通路,而毒力效应蛋白Spt P、Avr A、Ssp H1以及SPI-2上的Sse L能有效地抑制NF-κB信号通路。研究这些毒力效应蛋白对NF-κB信号通路的时相调控和协同作用,将进一步揭示沙门菌的致病机制。     

昆虫的NF-kB信号通路

昆虫NF-kB信号通路由toll和imd两条通路组成,通过转录因子NF-kB作用于靶标基因kB位点,而调节抗菌活性物质的表达。大量实验表明它能够被细菌、真菌和病毒的侵染所激活,在昆虫体液免疫中发挥着主要作用。现就昆虫的NF-kB信号通路的主要信号元件等进行综述。     

抗病毒免疫中干扰素与炎症信号通路的交互调控：防御反应与维持稳态

天然免疫是机体通过识别自身或外部危险信号后,为维持体内稳态而逐步建立起来的一系列防御反应,当宿主细胞内的模式识别受体识别胞内病原相关分子模式后激活干扰素(interferon, IFN)、核因子-kappa B (nuclear factor-kappa B, NF-κB)和炎性小体等信号通路。IFNs在天然免疫应答中发挥重要作用,它诱导的抗病毒基因能够通过多种方式抵御病毒的感染,炎症反应则是机体自动的防御反应,能够在病毒感染机体时释放促炎性细胞因子以调控机体的免疫反应,进而发挥抗病毒作用。在病毒感染过程中,IFN信号通路与炎症反应调控网络中的关键分子如NF-κB/RelA、PKR等存在一定的交互作用,此外,IFN信号通路及其产生的细胞因子又影响其他信号通路的活化,进而调控机体的免疫应答以维持自身稳态,它们之间的交互调控失衡将会引起过度炎症反应,导致组织器官的免疫病理损伤,例如SARS-CoV-2感染机体时产生的过度炎症反应。本文综述了机体抗病毒免疫过程中干扰素信号通路与炎症反应之间的交互调控,为研发抗病毒策略提供新思路。     

淋巴瘤发病机制与相关信号通路研究

淋巴瘤作为一类原发于淋巴结或结外淋巴组织的恶性肿瘤,其发生和发展机制至今尚未完全阐明。目前的研究表明淋巴瘤的发生、发展、预后和耐药等方面与很多信号通路密切相关。本文对目前淋巴瘤的研究进行系统梳理,剖析归纳与淋巴瘤发病机制密切相关的信号通路,包括经典Wnt/β-catenin信号通路、细胞核转录因子κB(NF-κB)信号通路、JAK-STAT信号通路、PI3K-Akt-m TOR信号通路、PD-1/PD-L信号通路、c AMP信号通路、Notch信号通路、Hedgehog信号通路和MAPK/Erk信号通路,为进一步深入地寻求淋巴瘤的研究和治疗策略提供依据。     

鳞翅目昆虫抗病毒免疫反应的研究进展

鳞翅目昆虫种类繁多,对农业生产和人类生活产生重大影响,宿主昆虫与病毒相互关系的研究对于利用病毒杀虫剂进行害虫治理和益虫病毒性疾病的预防具有重要意义.因此,鳞翅目昆虫与病毒的互作研究显得尤为重要,宿主昆虫的免疫系统在抗病毒感染过程中发挥着关键作用,对病毒产生不同程度的免疫反应.本文综述了昆虫围食膜和中肠对病毒入侵的防御作用,病毒进入体腔后昆虫所产生的细胞免疫和体液免疫反应,以及RNAi、细胞的自噬与凋亡、Toll、Imd、JAK-STAT和STING信号通路等相关的抗病毒免疫途径,并对昆虫抗病毒免疫研究的制约因素和未来鳞翅目昆虫抗病毒免疫的研究重点进行了讨论,以期为害虫的生物防治和益虫疾病的防控提供理论依据.     

线粒体抗病毒蛋白对先天免疫的影响

病毒感染启动宿主先天免疫反应是通过激活转录因子NF-κB和干扰素调节因子3（IRF-3）,它们协同调控Ⅰ型干扰素的表达。病毒在复制过程中产生的复制中间体双链RNA作为一个病原相关分子模式,被细胞内具有RNA解旋酶活性的维甲酸诱导基因Ⅰ（RIG-1）编码蛋白检测到。线粒体抗病毒蛋白（MAVS）作为一个接头蛋白,在RIG-1信号通路的下游和NF-κB、IRF-3信号通路的上游扮演着重要的角色。MAVS通过其疏水跨膜结构域定位在线粒体外膜上,是线粒体中发现的第一个与先天免疫相关的蛋白质,将线粒体和先天免疫联系在一起。     

Mitochondrial DNA in the regulation of innate immune responses

Mitochondrion is known as the energy factory of the cell, which is also a unique mammalian organelle and considered to be evolved from aerobic prokaryotes more than a billion years ago. Mitochondrial DNA, similar to that of its bacterial ancestor’s, consists of a circular loop and contains significant number of unmethylated DNA as CpG islands. The innate immune system plays an important role in the mammalian immune response. Recent research has demonstrated that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) activates several innate immune pathways involving TLR9, NLRP3 and STING signaling, which contributes to the signaling platforms and results in effector responses. In addition to facilitating antibacterial immunity and regulating antiviral signaling, mounting evidence suggests that mtDNA contributes to inflammatory diseases following cellular damage and stress. Therefore, in addition to its well-appreciated roles in cellular metabolism and energy production, mtDNA appears to function as a key member in the innate immune system. Here, we highlight the emerging roles of mtDNA in innate immunity.     

Regulators and signalling in insect antimicrobial innate immunity: Functional molecules and cellular pathways

Insects possess an immune system that protects them from attacks by various pathogenic microorganisms that would otherwise threaten their survival. Immune mechanisms may deal directly with the pathogens by eliminating them from the host organism or disarm them by suppressing the synthesis of toxins and virulence factors that promote the invasion and destructive action of the intruder within the host. Insects have been established as outstanding models for studying immune system regulation because innate immunity can be explored as an integrated system at the level of the whole organism. Innate immunity in insects consists of basal immunity that controls the constitutive synthesis of effector molecules such as antimicrobial peptides, and inducible immunity that is activated after detection of a microbe or its product(s). Activation and coordination of innate immune defenses in insects involve evolutionary conserved immune factors. Previous research in insects has led to the identification and characterization of distinct immune signalling pathways that modulate the response to microbial infections. This work has not only advanced the field of insect immunology, but it has also rekindled interest in the innate immune system of mammals. Here we review the current knowledge on key molecular components of insect immunity and discuss the opportunities they present for confronting infectious diseases in humans.     

gC1q receptor ligation selectively down-regulates human IL-12 production through activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway

gC1qR, a complement receptor for C1q, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of inflammatory and antiviral T cell responses. Several pathogens, including hepatitis C virus, exploit gC1qR-dependent regulatory pathways to manipulate host immunity. However, the molecular mechanism(s) of gC1qR signaling involved in regulating inflammatory responses remains unknown. We report the selective inhibition of TLR4-induced IL-12 production after cross-linking of gC1qR on the surface of macrophages and dendritic cells. Suppression of IL-12 did not result from increased IL-10 or TGF-beta, but was dependent on PI3K activation. Activation of PI3K and subsequent phosphorylation of Akt define an intracellular pathway mediating gC1qR signaling and cross-talk with TLR4 signaling. This is the first report to identify signaling pathways used by gC1qR-mediated immune suppression, and it establishes a means of complement-mediated immune suppression to inhibit Th1 immunity crucial for clearing pathogenic infection.     

Mosquito immune responses and malaria transmission: lessons from insect model systems and implications for vertebrate innate immunity and vaccine development

The introduction of novel biochemical, genetic, molecular and cell biology tools to the study of insect immunity has generated an information explosion in recent years. Due to the biodiversity of insects, complementary model systems have been developed. The conceptual framework built based on these systems is used to discuss our current understanding of mosquito immune responses and their implications for malaria transmission. The areas of insect and vertebrate innate immunity are merging as new information confirms the remarkable extent of the evolutionary conservation, at a molecular level, in the signaling pathways mediating these responses in such distant species. Our current understanding of the molecular language that allows the vertebrate innate immune system to identify parasites, such as malaria, and direct the acquired immune system to mount a protective immune response is very limited. Insect vectors of parasitic diseases, such as mosquitoes, could represent excellent models to understand the molecular responses of epithelial cells to parasite invasion. This information could broaden our understanding of vertebrate responses to parasitic infection and could have extensive implications for anti-malarial vaccine development.     

Double-stranded RNA induces sequence-specific antiviral silencing in addition to nonspecific immunity in a marine shrimp: convergence of RNA interference and innate immunity in the invertebrate antiviral response?

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a common by-product of viral infections and a potent inducer of innate antiviral immune responses in vertebrates. In the marine shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, innate antiviral immunity is also induced by dsRNA in a sequence-independent manner. In this study, the hypothesis that dsRNA can evoke not only innate antiviral immunity but also a sequence-specific antiviral response in shrimp was tested. It was found that viral sequence-specific dsRNA affords potent antiviral immunity in vivo, implying the involvement of RNA interference (RNAi)-like mechanisms in the antiviral response of the shrimp. Consistent with the activation of RNAi by virus-specific dsRNA, endogenous shrimp genes could be silenced in a systemic fashion by the administration of cognate long dsRNA. While innate antiviral immunity, sequence-dependent antiviral protection, and gene silencing could all be induced by injection of long dsRNA molecules, injection of short interfering RNAs failed to induce similar responses, suggesting a size requirement for extracellular dsRNA to engage antiviral mechanisms and gene silencing. We propose a model of antiviral immunity in shrimp by which viral dsRNA engages not only innate immune pathways but also an RNAi-like mechanism to induce potent antiviral responses in vivo.     

An overview of insect innate immunity

Due to the exposure of insects to various sources of pathogens during different stages of their life cycle and their vulnerability towards subsequent infections, moreover lack of morality issues, economical breeding and short‐term‐life cycle, insect's immunity has been considered as a high‐potential candidate to study underlying mechanisms of defense responses against all sort of invaders, as well as pandemic diseases. Currently, the world is enduring monumental pressure to meet global food production demands. One viable option would be to mass rear edible insects, such as coleopteran meal worm Tenebrio molitor, which is thought to be a substantial protein source. In addition, using antimicrobial peptides as an alternative for antibiotic source against multidrug‐resistant pathogens, makes insects a valuable option to solve this health issue. As a consequence, sufficient knowledge of insect immunity will lead us to reach advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies. To accomplish these goals, crucial importance of identification and functional characterization of the main signaling pathways, such as Toll and immune deficiency (IMD), prompted us to review the mechanisms of the signaling pathways involved in immune response in well‐known insect models.