title: Mouse cathelin-related antimicrobial peptide chemoattracts leukocytes using formyl peptide receptor-like 1/mouse formyl peptide receptor-like 2 as the receptor and acts as an immune adjuvant.
abstract: Mammalian antimicrobial proteins, such as defensins and cathelicidin, have stimulating effects on host leukocytes. Cathelin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP), the orthologue of human cathelicidin/LL-37, is the sole identified murine cathelicidin. CRAMP has been shown to have both antimicrobial and angiogenic activities. However, whether CRAMP, like human cathelicidin/LL-37, also exhibits a direct effect on the migration and function of leukocytes is not known. We have observed that CRAMP, like LL-37, was chemotactic for human monocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, and mouse peripheral blood leukocytes. CRAMP also induced calcium mobilization and the activation of MAPK in monocytes. CRAMP-induced calcium flux in monocytes was desensitized by MMK-1, an agonistic ligand specific for formyl peptide receptor-like-1 (FPRL1), and vice versa, suggesting the use of FPRL1 by CRAMP as a receptor. Furthermore, CRAMP induced the chemotaxis of human embryonic kidney 293 cells transfected with either FPRL1 or mouse formyl peptide receptor-2, the mouse homologue of FPRL1, but not by untransfected parental human embryonic kidney 293 cells, confirming the use of FPRL1/mouse formyl peptide receptor-2 by CRAMP. Injection of CRAMP into mouse air pouches resulted in the recruitment predominantly of neutrophils and monocytes, indicating that CRAMP acts as a chemotactic factor in vivo. Finally, simultaneous administration of OVA with CRAMP to mice promoted both humoral and cellular Ag-specific immune responses. Thus, CRAMP functions as both a chemoattractant for phagocytic leukocytes and an enhancer of adaptive immune response.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation, Center for Cancer Research, and Basic Research Program, Science Applications International Corporation-Frederick, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
authors.forename: Kahori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurosaka
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yarovinsky
authors.forename: Joost J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
authors.forename: De
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D054804:Cathelicidins; D002460:Cell Line; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D015194:Diffusion Chambers, Culture; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D044042:Receptors, Formyl Peptide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D054804:Cathelicidins; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D044042:Receptors, Formyl Peptide; C481578:formyl peptide receptor 2, mouse; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go