title: Selective expression of type I IFN genes in human dendritic cells infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
abstract: Type I IFN regulates different aspects of the immune response, inducing a cell-mediated immunity. We have recently shown that the infection of dendritic cells (DC) with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) induces IFN-alpha. In this work we have monitored a rapid induction of IFN-beta followed by the delayed production of the IFN-alpha1 and/or -alpha13 subtypes. The Mtb infection rapidly activates the NF-kappaB complex and stimulates the phosphorylation of IFN regulatory factor (IRF)-3, events known to induce IFN-beta expression in viral infection. In turn, the autocrine production of IFN-beta induces the IFN-stimulated genes that contain binding sites for activated STATs in their promoters. Among the IFN-stimulated genes induced in DC through STAT activation are IRF-1 and IRF-7. The expression of IRF-1 appears to be dependent on the sequential activation of NF-kappaB and STAT-1. Once expressed, IRF-1 may further stimulate the transcription of IFN-beta. Induction of IRF-7 is also regulated at the transcriptional level through the binding of phosphorylated STAT-1 and STAT-2, forming the IFN-stimulated gene factor-3 complex. In turn, the IRF-1 and IRF-7 expression appears to be required for the delayed induction of the IFN-alpha1/13 genes. Although correlative, our results strongly support the existence of a cascade of molecular events in Mtb-infected DC. Upon infection, constitutively expressed NF-kappaB and IRF-3 are activated and likely contribute to the rapid IFN-beta expression. In turn, IFN-beta-induced IRF-1 and IRF-7 may cooperate toward induction of IFN-alpha1/13 if infection persists and these factors are activated.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Remoli
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giacomini
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lutfalla
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dondi
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orefici
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Battistini
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Uzé
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.forename: Eliana M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Coccia
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007700:Kinetics; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050795:STAT2 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494257:IRF1 protein, human; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D007370:Interferon Type I; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; C494079:STAT1 protein, human; D050795:STAT2 Transcription Factor; C494084:STAT2 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016899:Interferon-beta