title: Cutting edge: TLR2-mediated proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine production by microglial cells in response to herpes simplex virus.
abstract: Recent studies indicate that TLRs are critical in generating innate immune responses during infection with HSV-1. In this study, we investigated the role of TLR2 signaling in regulating the production of neuroimmune mediators by examining cytokine and chemokine expression using primary microglial cells obtained from TLR2-/- as well as wild-type mice. Data presented here demonstrate that TLR2 signaling is required for the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines: TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-12, CCL7, CCL8, CCL9, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL4, and CXCL5. CXCL9 and CXCL10 were also induced by HSV, but their production was not dependent upon TLR2 signaling. Because TLR2-/- mice display significantly reduced mortality and diminished neuroinflammation in response to brain infection with HSV, the TLR2-dependent cytokines identified here might function as key players influencing viral neuropathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Translational Research, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Rajagopal N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Aravalli
authors.forename: Shuxian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Timothy N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Rowen
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Palmquist
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lokensgard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017628:Microglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; C493486:Tlr2 protein, mouse; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2