title: Anthrax lethal toxin enhances IkappaB kinase activation and differentially regulates pro-inflammatory genes in human endothelium.
abstract: Anthrax lethal toxin (LT) was previously shown to enhance transcriptional activity of NF-kappaB in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-activated primary human endothelial cells. Here we show that this LT-mediated increase in NF-kappaB activation is associated with the enhanced degradation of the inhibitory proteins IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta but not IkappaBepsilon. Moreover, this was accompanied by enhanced activation of the IkappaB kinase complex (IKK), which is responsible for targeting IkappaB proteins for degradation. Importantly, LT enhancement of IkappaBalpha degradation was completely blocked by a selective IKKbeta inhibitor, whereas IkappaBbeta degradation was attenuated, suggesting a mechanistic link. Consistent with the above data, LT-cotreated cells show elevated phosphorylation of two IKK substrates, IkappaBalpha and p65, both of which were blocked by incubation with the IKKbeta inhibitor. Consistent with NF-kappaB activation, LT increased transcription of the NF-kappaB regulated gene CD40. Conversely, LT inhibited transcription of another NF-kappaB-regulated gene, CCL2. This inhibition was linked to the LT-mediated suppression of another CCL2-regulating transcription factor, AP-1 (activator protein-1). These data suggest that LT-mediated enhancement of NF-kappaB is IKK-dependent, but importantly, the net effect of LT on the transcription of proinflammatory genes is driven by the cumulative effect of LT on the particular set of transcription factors that regulate a given promoter. Together, these findings provide new mechanistic insight on how LT may disrupt the host response to anthrax.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Vascular Biology, Division of Hematology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Warfel
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Agnillo
mesh_terms: D000881:Anthrax / Q000201:enzymology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000201:enzymology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000201:enzymology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000201:enzymology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C111835:CCL2 protein, human; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; C083487:I kappa B beta protein; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; C498143:RELA protein, human; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; C030325:anthrax toxin; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase