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TBX 21 participates in innate immune response by regulating Toll‐like receptor 2 expression in S treptococcus pneumoniae infections
Author(s) -
Woo C.H.,
Shin S.G.,
Koh S.H.,
Lim J.H.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
molecular oral microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 2041-1014
pISSN - 2041-1006
DOI - 10.1111/omi.12061
Subject(s) - innate immune system , tlr2 , biology , toll like receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , streptococcus pneumoniae , pneumolysin , immune system , peptidoglycan , acquired immune system , immunology , gene , genetics , antibiotics
Summary Nasopharyngeal carriage of S treptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) plays an important role in the development of invasive diseases, and is also critically involved in setting up respiratory bacterial and viral infections. We previously reported that pneumococcus, one of the commonly carried bacteria in the nasopharynx, regulates non‐typeable H aemophilus influenzae ‐induced inflammation by upregulating the expression of Toll‐like receptor 2 ( TLR 2). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which TLR 2 expression is regulated during pneumococcal infections have not yet been well characterized. TBX 21 is an important transcription factor of adaptive immunity, but there is an increasing body of evidence pointing to a role in regulating innate immunity. The expression of TBX 21 was reported in epithelial cells, but the expression and role of TBX 21 in respiratory epithelium, especially for regulating TLR 2, has not yet been studied. In this study, we found that pneumococcus upregulates TBX 21 expression in the respiratory epithelium. The effect of pneumococcus on TBX 21 expression was dependent on its cytoplasmic toxin, pneumolysin. In addition, epithelial TBX 21 expression was not regulated by the gram‐negative bacterium non‐typeable H aemophilus influenzae , peptidoglycan or endotoxin. Deficiency of TBX 21 in mice or knocking down TBX 21 in epithelial cells suppressed pneumococcus‐induced TLR 2 expression, but not that of TLR 4 or TLR 9. These results indicate that the adaptive immune regulator TBX 21 participates in regulating innate immune responses, through regulation of TLR 2 expression during pneumococcal infections.