title: Overexpressing autoimmune regulator regulates the expression of toll-like receptors by interacting with their promoters in RAW264.7 cells.
abstract: Autoimmune regulator (Aire) is a transcriptional activator that regulates the ectopic expression of many tissue-restricted antigens in medullary thymic epithelial cells, and that has an important role in the negative selection of autoreactive T cells. However, the roles of Aire expression in peripheral lymphoid tissues and hematopoietic cells, especially monocytes/macrophages, remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that the mRNA and protein expression levels of toll-like receptor (TLR)1, TLR3, and TLR8 were notably up-regulated in a mouse macrophage-like cell line (RAW264.7) stably expressing Aire, while the expression of TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, TLR6, TLR7, and TLR9 were not significantly changed. In addition, the mRNA expression of TLR3 and TLR8 were significantly increased in primary peritoneal macrophages transiently transfected with Aire. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and a luciferase activity assay, we also found that Aire interacted with the TLR1, TLR3, and TLR8 promoters and increased the luciferase transcriptional activity of these promoters in RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, after stimulation by Pam(3)CSK(4), a TLR1 ligand, and poly(I:C), a TLR3 ligand, we found that the mRNA expression levels of IL-1α, TNFα, iNOS, and IFNα were increased in RAW264.7 cells stably expressing Aire. Together, these data suggest that Aire has a crucial role in the recognition of pathogenic microorganisms and peripheral immune tolerance in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) by regulating the expression of TLRs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Wufei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhifei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xiangyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jitong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D015870:Gene Expression; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008024:Ligands; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051194:Toll-Like Receptor 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051200:Toll-Like Receptor 8 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000096927:AIRE Protein
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D051194:Toll-Like Receptor 1; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3; D051200:Toll-Like Receptor 8; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000096927:AIRE Protein; C519703:TLR3 protein, mouse; C552579:TLR8 protein, mouse