title: Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in response to Aspergillus fumigatus.
abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus causes life-threatening infections in patients with qualitative and quantitative defects in phagocytic function. Here, we examined the contribution of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2, TLR4, the adapter protein MyD88, and CD14 to signaling in response to the three forms of A. fumigatus encountered during human disease: resting conidia (RC), swollen conidia (SC), and hyphae (H). Compared with elicited peritoneal macrophages obtained from wild-type and heterozygous mice, TLR2(-/-) and MyD88(-/-) macrophages produced significantly less tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) following A. fumigatus stimulation. In contrast, following stimulation with RC, SC, and H, TLR4(-/-) and CD14(-/-) macrophages exhibited no defects in tumor necrosis factor-alpha release. TLR2(-/-), TLR4(-/-), MyD88(-/-), and CD14(-/-) macrophages bound similar numbers of RC and SC compared with wild-type macrophages. RC, SC, and H stimulated greater activation of a nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB)-dependent reporter gene and greater release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha from the human monocytic THP-1 cell line stably transfected with CD14 compared with control cells stably transfected with empty vector. A. fumigatus stimulated NFkappaB-dependent reporter gene activity in the human embryonic kidney cell line, HEK293, only if the cells were transfected with TLR2. Moreover, activity increased when TLR2 and CD14 were co-transfected. Taken together, these data suggest that optimal signaling responses to A. fumigatus require TLR2 in both mouse and human cells. In contrast, a role for CD14 was found only in the human cells. MyD88 acts as a central adapter protein mediating signaling responses following stimulation with RC, SC, and H.
authors.affiliation: Evans Memorial Department of Clinical Research, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Salamatu S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mambula
authors.forename: Keya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sau
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henneke
authors.forename: Douglas T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Golenbock
authors.forename: Stuart M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Levitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014162:Transfection; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C495342:TLR2 protein, human; C495345:TLR4 protein, human; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha