Antiviral signaling through pattern recognition receptors

Viral infection is detected by the host innate immune system. Innate immune cells such as dendritic cells and macrophages detect nucleic acids derived from viruses through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Viral recognition by PRRs initiates the activation of signaling pathways that lead to production of type I interferon and inflammatory cytokines, which are important for the elimination of viruses. Two types of PRRs that recognize viral nucleic acids, Toll-like receptors (TLR) and RIG-I-like RNA helicases (RLH), have been identified. Of the TLRs, TLR3 recognizes viral double-stranded (ds) RNA, TLR7 and human TLR8 identify viral single-stranded (ss) RNA and TLR9 detects viral DNA. TLRs are located in endosomal compartments, whereas RLH are present in the cytoplasm where they detect viral dsRNA or ssRNA. Here we review the role of TLRs and RLHs in the antiviral innate immune response.     

Peptide mapping of conformational epitopes in a human malarial parasite heat shock protein

A protein of 75 kDa is found in large quantities throughout the blood stages of the human malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Based on a partial amino acid sequence for p75, previously deduced from a cDNA clone encoding approximately 40% of the molecule, secondary structural predictions were made. The potential role of long range effects on the tertiary structure of the protein stabilized by disulfide bridges was determined by reduction and alkylation of the fusion protein. Five regions were then chosen for peptide modeling. Peptides of 16, 28, 49, 64, and 76 residues were synthesized and used to immunize rabbits. All but the 16-residue peptides were capable of stimulating boostable IgG antibody responses in rabbits, but the antibody produced against the 49 mer did not react with the native parasite protein. Thus, the 28, 64, and 76 residue peptides represent good immunologic models for portions of the P. falciparum 75-kDa protein capable of stimulating both T and B cells in rabbits. The peptides were also used to probe whether any of the selected regions contain epitopes which react with antibodies from owl monkeys immune to P. falciparum. Of these peptides, two were found to be consistently recognized in ELISA by four owl monkey antisera raised in response to malarial infection. Because these two peptides model a cysteine-containing region of the protein, owl monkey sera were also used as probes of the importance of disulfide bonding in maintaining the native structure. The results obtained were consistent with a folding pattern for p75 that incorporates a disulfide bond between cysteines 161 and 194. These results also suggest that most of the epitopes recognized in this part of p75 by the immune system of the monkey are created by folding of the molecule.     

New insights into TRP channels: Interaction with pattern recognition receptors

An increasing number of studies have implicated that the activation of innate immune system and inflammatory mechanisms are of importance in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. The innate immune system is present in almost all multicellular organisms in response to pathogens or tissue injury, which is performed via germ-line encoded pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or dangers-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Intracellular pathways linking immune and inflammatory response to ion channel expression and function have been recently identified. Among ion channels, transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a major family of non-selective cation-permeable channels that function as polymodal cellular sensors involved in many physiological and pathological processes. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about classifications, functions, and interactions of TRP channels and PRRs, which may provide new insights into their roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases.     

Ubiquitination of pattern recognition receptors in plant innate immunity

Lacking an adaptive immune system, plants largely rely on plasma membrane‐resident pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to sense pathogen invasion. The activation of PRRs leads to the profound immune responses that coordinately contribute to the restriction of pathogen multiplication. Protein post‐translational modifications dynamically shape the intensity and duration of the signalling pathways. In this review, we discuss the specific regulation of PRR activation and signalling by protein ubiquitination, endocytosis and degradation, with a particular focus on the bacterial flagellin receptor FLS2 (flagellin sensing 2) in Arabidopsis.     

Chimeric receptors of the Arabidopsis thaliana pattern recognition receptors EFR and FLS2

FLS2 and EFR are pattern recognition receptors in Arabidopsis thaliana perceiving the bacterial proteins flagellin and Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu). Both receptors belong to the >200 membered protein family of Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor Kinases (LRR-RKs) in Arabidopsis. FLS2 and EFR are engaged in the activation of a common intracellular signal output and they belong to the same subfamily of LRR-RKs, sharing structural features like the intracellular kinase domain and the ectodomain organized in LRRs. On the amino acid sequence level, however, they are only <50% identical even in their kinase domains. In our recently published paper¹ we demonstrated that it is possible to create chimeric receptors of EFR and FLS2 that are fully functional in ligand binding and receptor activation. Chimeric receptors consisting of the complete EFR ectodomain and the FLS2 kinase domain proved to be sensitive to elf18, the minimal peptide required for EF-Tu recognition, similar to the native EFR. In chimeric receptors where parts of the FLS2 ectodomain were swapped into the EFR LRR-domain, the receptor function was strongly affected even in cases with only small fragments exchanged. In this addendum we want to address problems and limits but also possibilities and chances of studying receptor functions using a chimeric approach.Key words: pattern recognition receptors, chimeric receptors, MAMP, flagellin perception, FLS2, EFRIn the Arabidopsis genome exist >600 genes that are predicted to encode for receptor-like kinases (RLKs).^2,3 More than 200 of them have ectodomains with LRRs. Physiological functions have been attributed only to a rather small percentage of them. Examples for known receptor-ligand pairs in A. thaliana include the well studied BRI1/Brassionlide,^4,5 AtPEPR1/Pep25,⁶ HAESA/IDA⁷ or CLV1/CLV3.⁸ While these LRR-RKs detect endogenous ligands, other members of this family function as immunoreceptors that detect ligands indicative of ‘non-self,’ such as pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Examples of such LRR-RKs include FLS2 (Flagellin Sensing 2) and EFR (EF-Tu Receptor) from Arabidopsis and XA21 from rice.^9–11 The corresponding ligands have been identified as the flg22-epitope of bacterial flagellin for FLS2, the N-terminus of bacterial EF-Tu represented by the elf18 peptide for EFR, and the sulfated Avr21 peptide from Xanthomonas for XA21, respectively. LRR-ectodomains with related function in pathogen recognition occur also in so-called receptor-like proteins that lack the cytoplasmic kinase domains. Well studied examples include several Cf-receptor proteins which confer resistance against the fungus Cladosporium fulvum (Cf) in a gene-for-gene dependent manner. Thereby, different Cf-proteins function as recognition systems with specificity for factors determined by corresponding AvrCf products of the fungal pathogen.^12,13Receptor activation of the well studied receptor BRI1 by its ligand brassinolide involves interaction with a further receptor kinase, BAK1 (BRI1-associated receptor kinase 1).^5,14 Most interestingly, BAK1, or one of the four BAK1-related receptor kinases of the SERK protein family, also acts as a co-receptor for the ligand-dependent activation of FLS2, AtPEPR1 and EFR.^15–17 It seems that the co-receptor BAK1 plays an important role in activation of receptor kinases, serving different intracellular signaling pathways and output programs.¹⁸Up to now, little is known about the molecular details of ligand binding by the ectodomain in the apoplast and how this process leads to activation of the output signaling by the kinase moiety in the cytoplasm. The interaction with the co-receptor BAK1 suggests an activation process involving a ligand-induced intramolecular conformational change of the LRR-RK that then allows heterodimerization with the co-receptor BAK1. An initial task in elucidation of this activation process consists in defining the exact sites in the ectodomains of the receptors that interact with their corresponding ligands. So far, the clearest results for mapping ligand binding sites on LRR-receptor proteins were obtained with directed point mutations within the LRR domains as performed with the tomato receptor-like protein Cf-9,^19,20 and the Arabidopsis FLS2. There, a series of directed point mutations helped to map the LRRs 9–15 as a subdomain essential for interaction with the ligand flg22.²¹ Another interesting and promising approach consists in swaps of receptor sub-domains or exchanges of LRRs. In a remarkable, pioneering experiment this approach was used to produce chimeric receptors with the ectodomain of the brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 from Arabidopsis and the kinase domain of the immunoreceptor XA21 from rice.²² This chimera was reported to recognize the “developmental signal” brassinolide but to trigger characteristic cellular defense responses. In a recent publication²³ a domain swap between the ectodomain of the Wall Associated Kinase 1 (WAK1) and EFR was used to gain evidence for a function of the WAK1 ectodomain as a pectin receptor. Chimeric forms of the Cf receptor-like protein were used to identify subdomains carrying the specificity for the corresponding effectors from the C. fulvum pathogens.²⁴ However, as a limitation of this analysis, for none of these tomato resistance proteins a direct interaction with the corresponding effector proteins of the pathogen could be demonstrated so far.²⁵In our work, recently published in the Journal of Biochemistry,¹ we used the Arabidopsis thaliana receptors FLS2 and EFR to generate receptor chimeras. The main goal was to study the elf18 binding site in the EFR LRR-domain. In initial attempts we used EFR-constructs lacking some of the LRRs to narrow down the interaction site on the ectodomain. However, all of these truncated ectodomain versions lacking the transmembrane domain or more turned out to be unable in binding elf18 and triggering responses. In a second approach, we used the replacement of receptor parts with fragments from the structurally related receptor AtFLS2. These chimeras were tested for proper expression, localization, functionality in several plant defence related assays and affinity for the ligand elf18 in binding assays. The chimera with the complete EFR ectodomain swapped to the Kinase of FLS2 was fully functional as EF-Tu receptor. Since both receptors are known to trigger the same set of defense responses this might be not unexpected. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the two receptors show ∼45% sequence identity in their kinase domain, a degree of identity also shared with the kinase domains of receptors involved in other output programs, like BRI1. The 21 LRRs of EFR are sufficient for specifying full affinity for the elf18 as a ligand (

Engagement of Penicillium marneffei conidia with multiple pattern recognition receptors on human monocytes

P. marneffei is a thermal dimorphic fungus which causes penicilliosis, an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients in South and Southeast Asia. Little is known about the innate immune response to P. marneffei infection. Therefore, the initial response of macrophages to P. marneffei conidia was evaluated by us. Adhesion between monocytes from healthy humans and fungal conidia was examined and found to be specifically inhibited by MAbs against PRR, such as MR, (TLR)1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR6, CD14, CD11a, CD11b, and CD18. To study the consequences of these interactions, cytokines were also examined by ELISA. Binding of P. marneffei conidia to monocytes was significantly inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, by MAbs against MR, TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR6, CD14, CD11b and CD18. When monocytes were co-cultured with the conidia, there was an increase in the amount of surface CD40 and CD86 expression, together with TNF-α and IL-1β production, compared to unstimulated controls. In assays containing anti-TLR4 or anti-CD14 antibody, reduction in the amount of TNF-α released by monocytes stimulated with P. marneffei conidia was detected. In addition, it was found that production of TNF-α and IL-1β from adherent peripheral blood monocytes was partially impaired when heat-inactivated autologous serum, in place of untreated autologous serum, was added to the assay. These results demonstrate that various PRR on human monocytes participate in the initial recognition of P. marneffei conidia, and the engagement of PRR could partly initiate proinflammatory cytokine production.     

Physiological role of the functions of pattern recognition receptors in immunology

Data accumulated to date, including published data obtained by other researchers, were used to demonstrate that the immune system differentiates between the normal resident microflora of the body and transient microflora using pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on the surface of cells. The body forms a regional tolerance to the former microflora, and the latter one is inhibited by the immune system and, upon entering the body, eliminated. This function of PRRs in lower organisms is exercised by the innate immunity; in higher organisms, the adaptive immunity is also involved. It is important that, in humans and other mammals, this function of control also extends to the central tolerance to clone elimination, determining the absence of an immune response to the body’s own tissues.     

Expansion of pathogen recognition specificity in plants using pattern recognition receptors and artificially designed decoys

Pathogen/microbe-associated molecular patterns(PAMPs/MAMPs) are recognized by plant pattern recognition receptors(PRRs)localized on the cell surface to activate immune responses.This PAMP-triggered immunity(PTI) confers resistance to a broad range of pathogenic microbes and,therefore,has a great potential for genetically engineering broad-spectrum resistance by transferring PRRs across plant families.Pathogenic effectors secreted by phytopathogens often directly target and inhibit key components of PTI signaling pathways via diverse biochemical mechanisms.In some cases,plants have evolved to produce decoy proteins that mimic the direct virulence target,which senses the biochemical activities of pathogenic effectors.This kind of perception traps the effectors of erroneous targeting and results in the activation of effector-triggered immunity(ETI) instead of suppressing PTI.This mechanism suggests that artificially designed decoy proteins could be used to generate new recognition specificities in a particular plant.In this review,we summarize recent advances in research investigating PAMP recognition by PRRs and virulence effector surveillance by decoy proteins.Successful expansion of recognition specificities,conferred by the transgenic expression of EF-Tu receptor(EFR) and AvrPphB susceptible 1(PBS1) decoys,has highlighted the considerable potential of PRRs and artificially designed decoys to expand plant resistance spectra and the need to further identify novel PRRs and decoys.     

cGLRs are a diverse family of pattern recognition receptors in innate immunity

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The INs and OUTs of pattern recognition receptors at the cell surface

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) enable plants to sense non-self molecules displayed by microbes to mount proper defense responses or establish symbiosis. In recent years the importance of PRR subcellular trafficking to plant immunity has become apparent. PRRs traffic through the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus to the plasma membrane, where they recognize their cognate ligands. At the plasma membrane, PRRs can be recycled or internalized via endocytic pathways. By using genetic and biochemical tools in combination with bioimaging, the trafficking pathways and their role in PRR perception of microbial molecules are now being revealed.     

Peptide interactions with G-protein coupled receptors.

Peptide recognition by G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is reviewed with an emphasis on the indirect approach used to determine the receptor-bound conformation of peptide ligands. This approach was developed in response to the lack of detailed structural information available for these receptors. Recent advances in the structural determination of rhodopsin (the GPCR of the visual system) by crystallography have provided a scaffold for homology modeling of the inactive state of a wide variety of GPCRs that interact with peptide messages. Additionally, the ability to mutate GPCRs and assay compounds of similar chemical structure to test a common binding site on the receptor provides a firm experimental basis for structure-activity studies. Recognition motifs, common in other well-studied systems such as proteolytic enzymes and major histocompatibility class receptors (MHC) are reviewed briefly to provide a basis of comparison. Finally, the development of true peptidomimetics is contrasted with nonpeptide ligands, discovered through combinatorial chemistry. In many systems, the evidence suggests that the peptide ligands bind at the interface between the transmembrane segments and the extracellular loops, while nonpeptide antagonists bind within the transmembrane segments. Plausible models of GPCRs and the mechanism by which they activate G-proteins on binding peptides are beginning to emerge.     

Peptide interactions with the Kb antigen recognition site

The ability of OVA-specific H-2Kb-restricted CTL to recognize the defined OVA258-276 peptide in the context of the Kbm mutants and variants of these mutants was examined to determine how specific variations in the Ag recognition site-influenced peptide presentation to these CTL. L cells expressing Kb or Kbm10 were equally capable of presenting the OVA peptide to Kb-restricted, OVA-specific bulk CTL, whereas L cell clones expressing Kbm8 or Kbm1 showed little to no capacity to present this peptide. L cell transfectants expressing Kbm3 and Kbm23 consistently demonstrated an intermediate to low level of presentation to bulk OVA-specific CTL. Dissection of the Kbm8 mutant revealed that cells expressing Kbm8-22 (Tyr----Phe) and/or Kbm8-24 (Glu----Ser) presented the OVA peptide significantly less well than the Kb-presenting molecule. Presentation of OVA by cells expressing Kbm8-23,30 (Met----Ile) (Asp----Asn), Kbm8-23 (Met----Ile), and Kbm8-30 (Asp----Asn) was equivalent to Kb presentation. Another mutation designated as Kbm5, that has a substitution at position 116 (Tyr----Phe), demonstrated an intermediate to high ability to present OVA258-276 to an OVA-specific CTL line. The Kbm3, Kbm11, and Kbm23 mutants were unable to present the OVA peptide to this same CTL line. Dissection of these mutants showed that the substitution at position 77 (Asp----Ser), which is shared by all three mutants, was responsible for their inability to present the peptide. A second Kb-restricted CTL line was able to recognize OVA in the context of the Asp----Ser substitution at position 77. The results of this analysis suggest that the OVA258-276 peptide interacts with multiple regions within the Ag recognition site of the Kb class I protein.