A serine/threonine kinase, Cot/Tpl2, modulates bacterial DNA-induced IL-12 production and Th cell differentiation

Kenji Sugimoto, Mutsuhiro Ohata, Jun Miyoshi, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Naotake Tsuboi, Akio Masuda, Yasunobu Yoshikai, Masaya Takamoto, Kazuo Sugane, Seiichi Matsuo, Yasuhiro Shimada, Tetsuya Matsuguchi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

72 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A serine/threonine protein kinase, Cot/Tpl2, is indispensable for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and production of TNF-α and PGE2 in LPS-stimulated macrophages. We show here that Cot/Tpl2 is also activated by other Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands. Bacterial DNA rich in the dinucleotide CG (CpG-DNA), unlike LPS or synthetic lipopeptide, activated ERK in a Cot/Tpl2-independent manner. Peritoneal macrophages and bone marrow-derived DCs from Cot/Tpl2-/- mice produced significantly more IL-12 in response to CpG-DNA than those from WT mice. Enhanced IL-12 production in Cot/Tpl2-/- macrophages is, at least partly, regulated at the transcriptional level, and the elevated IL-12 mRNA level in Cot/Tpl2 -/- macrophages is accompanied by decreased amounts of IL-12 repressors, such as c-musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma (c-Maf) and GATA sequence in the IL-12 promoter-binding protein (GA-12-binding protein; GAP-12) in the nucleus. Consistently, Cot/Tpl2-/- mice showed Th1-skewed antigen-specific immune responses upon OVA immunization and Leishmania major infection in vivo. These results indicate that Cot/Tpl2 is an important negative regulator of Th1-type adaptive immunity, that it achieves this regulation by inhibiting IL-12 production from accessory cells, and that it might be a potential target molecule in CpG-DNA-guided vaccination.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)857-866
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation
Volume114
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 09-2004
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Medicine

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