title: Bacterial teichoic acids reverse predominant IL-12 production induced by certain lactobacillus strains into predominant IL-10 production via TLR2-dependent ERK activation in macrophages.
abstract: The cytokine response of macrophages to probiotic lactobacilli varies between strains, and the balance of IL-10/IL-12 production is crucial for determination of the direction of the immune response. To clarify the mechanism whereby Lactobacillus strains differentially induce production of IL-10 and IL-12, we examined the potential relationship between cytokine production and MAPK activation. In mouse peritoneal macrophages, Lactobacillus plantarum potently induced IL-10 but weakly induced IL-12 production, whereas L. casei potently induced IL-12 but weakly induced IL-10 production. Kinetic analysis of the activation of ERK, p38, and JNK showed that L. plantarum induced a more rapid and intense activation of MAPKs, especially of ERK, than L. casei. A selective blockade of ERK activation induced by L. plantarum resulted in a decrease in IL-10 production and a simultaneous increase in IL-12 production. Interestingly, when macrophages were stimulated with a combination of L. plantarum and L. casei, IL-10 production was induced synergistically. We identified cell wall teichoic acid and lipoteichoic acid as key factors for triggering the synergistic induction of IL-10 production, although these teichoic acids alone only weakly induced IL-10 production. The effect of these teichoic acids on IL-10 production was mediated by TLR2-dependent ERK activation. Our data demonstrate that activation of the ERK pathway is critical for determination of the balance of the IL-10/IL-12 response of macrophages to lactobacilli and that predominant IL-12 production induced by certain lactobacilli such as L. casei can be converted into predominant IL-10 production when stimulated in the presence of teichoic acids.
authors.affiliation: Yakult Central Institute for Microbiological Research, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Rumi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiyoshima-Shibata
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagaoka
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nanno
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002469:Cell Separation; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000276:immunology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000276:immunology*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D013682:Teichoic Acids / Q000276:immunology*; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013682:Teichoic Acids; C493486:Tlr2 protein, mouse; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases