title: A differential role for the mitogen-activated protein kinases in lipopolysaccharide signaling: the MEK/ERK pathway is not essential for nitric oxide and interleukin 1beta production.
abstract: Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) is a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and promotes the activation of macrophages and microglia. Although these cells are highly LPS-responsive, they serve unique tissue-specific functions and exhibit different LPS sensitivities. Accordingly, it was of interest to evaluate whether these biological differences reside in variations within LPS signaling pathways between these two cell types. Because the mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK-1 and ERK-2 have been implicated in the control of many immune responses, we tested the concept that they are a key indicator for differences in cellular LPS sensitivity. We observed that murine RAW 264.7 macrophages and murine BV-2 microglial cells both respond to LPS by exhibiting increased IkappaBalpha degradation, enhanced NF-kappaB DNA binding activity, and elevated nitric oxide and interleukin-1beta production. Although LPS potently stimulates ERK activation in RAW 264.7 macrophages, it does not activate ERK-1/-2 in BV-2 microglia. Moreover, antagonism of the MEK/ERK pathway potentiates LPS-stimulated nitric oxide production, suggesting that LPS-stimulated ERK activation can exert inhibitory effects in macrophage-like cells. These data support the idea that ERK activation is not a required function of LPS-mediated signaling events and illustrate that alternative/additional pathways for LPS action exist in these cell types.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Chemistry and Program in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Jyoti J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Watters
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: Zachary A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Prabhu
authors.forename: Alma N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bertics
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8; D048056:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 9; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D004247:DNA; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; D048056:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 9; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; C482578:Map3k1 protein, mouse