title: Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1-mediated sustained p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation regulates mycoplasmal lipoprotein- and staphylococcal peptidoglycan-triggered Toll-like receptor 2 signalling pathways.
abstract: Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 functions as a sensor for detecting various microbial components conserved in bacteria or fungi in innate immunity. TLR2 induces several signalling pathways linking to activation of the transcriptional factors NF-kappaB and AP-1 as well as induction of cell death. In human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressed human TLR2, mycoplasmal lipoproteins (MLP) or staphylococcal peptidoglycans (PGN) induced sustained phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), accompanied by generation of reactive oxygen species. This observation encouraged us to examine roles of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) in TLR2 signalling, because ASK1 is an upstream activator of p38 MAPK during exposure to oxidative stress and other stressful stimuli. A kinase-inactive mutant of ASK1 greatly impaired the sustained phosphorylation of p38 MAPK induced by MLP or PGN. This mutant also attenuated MLP- or PGN-induced transcriptional activities of NF-kappaB and AP-1 via inhibition of p38 MAPK activation. MLP- or PGN-induced cell death reactions, including DNA fragmentation and caspase-3/7 activation, were also down-regulated by the ASK1 mutant via p38 MAPK inhibition. Furthermore, TLR2 signalling had a potential to phosphorylate and dephosphorylate ASK1 at Ser83 residue. Thus, MLP and PGN have capabilities to induce ASK1-dependent signalling pathways which regulate p38 MAPK activation through TLR2, leading to activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 as well as induction of cell death.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oral Molecular Microbiology, Department of Oral Pathobiological Science, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Nishi 7, Kita 13, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8586, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Into
authors.forename: Ken-Ichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibata
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D016858:Mycoplasma fermentans / Q000378:metabolism*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C495342:TLR2 protein, human; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D012694:Serine; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5; D020169:Caspases