title: Salivary epithelial cells from Sjogren's syndrome patients are highly sensitive to anoikis induced by TLR-3 ligation.
abstract: In certain types of cells, Toll-like receptor-3 (TLR-3) ligation by viral dsRNA induces apoptotic death, likely engaged into the elimination of virus-infected cells. We have previously shown that TLR-3 ligation on cultured non-neoplastic salivary gland epithelial cells (SGEC) with polyI:C (a synthetic analogue of viral dsRNA) results in the induction of surface immunoactive molecules, however, the pro-apoptotic effect of such signaling has not been addressed. In this study, polyI:C-treated SGEC were found to suffer severe detachment from substratum and subsequent apoptosis, a phenomenon suggestive of anoikis or anoikia (detachment-induced apoptosis). PolyI:C-induced anoikis in SGEC was associated with the upregulation of the pro-apoptotic Bmf, BimEL and Bax and the down-regulation of the pro-survival Bcl-2 (real-time PCR analyses). Finally, the comparative analysis of SGEC lines derived from primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) patients (SS-SGEC) and non-SS controls had revealed that SS-SGEC are particularly susceptible to TLR-3-induced anoikis, as it was triggered by suboptimally low concentrations of polyI:C. This finding correlated with significantly higher constitutive surface TLR-3 expression by SS-SGEC, a feature indicative of their intrinsic activation status. In conclusion, TLR-3 signaling pathway in the salivary epithelium appears to extend beyond the induction of innate immune responses and to involve the activation of programmed-cell death via anoikis. In the same context, the increased vulnerability of SS-SGEC to the injurious effect of TLR-3 ligation is likely associated with the intrinsic activation processes that apparently operate in the epithelia of SS patients, and a feature of key pathogenetic importance for the disorder.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Department of Pathophysiology, Medical School, National University of Athens, Greece. menman@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Menelaos N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Manoussakis
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Spachidou
authors.forename: Christos I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Maratheftis
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D023102:Anoikis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3 / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C000606775:BCL2L11 protein, human; C486655:BMF protein, human; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C495344:TLR3 protein, human; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D016899:Interferon-beta; D011070:Poly I-C