title: Roles of an IkappaB kinase-related pathway in human cytomegalovirus-infected vascular smooth muscle cells: a molecular link in pathogen-induced proatherosclerotic conditions.
abstract: Viral and bacterial pathogens have long been suspected to affect atherogenesis directly. However, mechanisms linking innate immunity to chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis are still poorly defined. Here we show that infection of primary human aortic smooth muscle cells (HAOSMC) with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) leads to activation of the novel IkappaB kinase (IKK)-related kinase, Tank-binding kinase-1 (TBK1), a major effector of the cellular innate immune response. We demonstrate that part of the HCMV inflammatory response is most likely mediated via this novel kinase because the canonical IKK complex was only poorly activated upon infection of HAOSMC. An increase in TBK1 phosphotransferase activity led to a strong activation of the interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-3 transcription factor as measured by its C-terminal phosphorylation, dimerization, and DNA binding activity. In addition to TBK1, HAOSMC also express another IKK-related kinase isoform, IKKepsilon, albeit at a lower level. Nevertheless, both isoforms were required for full activation of IRF-3 by HCMV. The transcripts of proatherosclerotic genes Ccl5 (encoding for the chemokine RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted)) and Cxcl10 (encoding for the chemokine IP-10 (interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10)) were induced in an IRF-3-dependent manner after HCMV infection of smooth muscle cells. In addition, cytokine arrays analysis showed that RANTES and IP-10 were the predominant chemokines present in the supernatant of HCMV-infected HAOSMC. Activation of the TBK1/IRF-3 pathway was independent of epidermal growth factor receptor and pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein-coupled receptor activation. Our results thus add additional molecular clues to a possible role of HCMV as a modulator of atherogenesis through the induction of a proinflammatory response that is, in part, dependent of an IKK-related kinase pathway.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada.
authors.forename: Simon-Pierre
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Gravel
authors.forename: Marc J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Servant
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000378:metabolism; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000378:metabolism; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000378:metabolism; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019281:Dimerization; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; D007249:Inflammation; D050838:Interferon Regulatory Factor-3; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000821:virology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000821:virology*; D037342:Pertussis Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D020298:U937 Cells
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C483024:CCL5 protein, human; C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494232:IRF3 protein, human; D050838:Interferon Regulatory Factor-3; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C484406:TANK protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA; D003513:Cycloheximide; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C496559:CHUK protein, human; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; C496560:IKBKB protein, human; C496565:IKBKE protein, human; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins