Ablation of leptin receptor-mediated ERK activation impairs host defense against Gram-negative pneumonia.
The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin plays an important role in regulation of energy homeostasis and the innate immune response against bacterial infections. Leptin's actions are mediated by signaling events initiated by phosphorylation of tyrosine residues on the long form of the leptin receptor. We recently reported that disruption of leptin receptor-mediated STAT3 activation augmented host defense against pneumococcal pneumonia. In this report, we assessed leptin receptor-mediated ERK activation, a pathway that was ablated in the l/l mouse through a mutation of the tyrosine 985 residue in the leptin receptor, to determine its role in host defense against bacterial pneumonia in vivo and in alveolar macrophage (AM) antibacterial functions in vitro. l/l mice exhibited increased mortality and impaired pulmonary bacterial clearance after intratracheal challenge with Klebsiella pneumoniae. The synthesis of cysteinyl-leukotrienes was reduced and that of PGE(2) enhanced in AMs in vitro and the lungs of l/l mice after infection with K. pneumoniae in vivo. We also observed reduced phagocytosis and killing of K. pneumoniae in AMs from l/l mice that was associated with reduced reactive oxygen intermediate production in vitro. cAMP, known to suppress phagocytosis, bactericidal capacity, and reactive oxygen intermediate production, was also increased 2-fold in AMs from l/l mice. Pharmacologic blockade of PGE(2) synthesis reduced cAMP levels and overcame the defective phagocytosis and killing of bacteria in AMs from l/l mice in vitro. These results demonstrate that leptin receptor-mediated ERK activation plays an essential role in host defense against bacterial pneumonia and in leukocyte antibacterial effector functions.
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. pmancuso@umich.edu
Peter
P
Mancuso
Martin G
MG
Myers
Deepti
D
Goel
Carlos H
CH
Serezani
Edmund
E
O'Brien
Jared
J
Goldberg
David M
DM
Aronoff
Marc
M
Peters-Golden
D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D007930:Leucine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D014443:Tyrosine; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D007930:Leucine