Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae-Induced MyD88 Short Expression Is Regulated by Positive IKKβ and CREB Pathways and Negative ERK1/2 Pathway

A severe asthma phenotype of excessive airway Haemophilus influenzae relative abundance associated with sputum neutrophilia

BACKGROUND

Severe asthma (SA) encompasses several clinical phenotypes with a heterogeneous airway microbiome. We determined the phenotypes associated with a low α-diversity microbiome.

METHODS

Metagenomic sequencing was performed on sputum samples from SA participants. A threshold of 2 standard deviations below the mean of α-diversity of mild-moderate asthma and healthy control subjects was used to define those with an abnormal abundance threshold as relative dominant species (RDS).

FINDINGS

Fifty-one out of 97 SA samples were classified as RDSs with Haemophilus influenzae RDS being most common (n = 16), followed by Actinobacillus unclassified (n = 10), Veillonella unclassified (n = 9), Haemophilus aegyptius (n = 9), Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae (n = 7), Propionibacterium acnes (n = 5), Moraxella catarrhalis (n = 5) and Tropheryma whipplei (n = 5). Haemophilus influenzae RDS had the highest duration of disease, more exacerbations in previous year and greatest number on daily oral corticosteroids. Hierarchical clustering of RDSs revealed a C2 cluster (n = 9) of highest relative abundance of exclusively Haemophilus influenzae RDSs with longer duration of disease and higher sputum neutrophil counts associated with enrichment pathways of MAPK, NF-κB, TNF, mTOR and necroptosis, compared to the only other cluster, C1, which consisted of 7 Haemophilus influenzae RDSs out of 42. Sputum transcriptomics of C2 cluster compared to C1 RDSs revealed higher expression of neutrophil extracellular trap pathway (NETosis), IL6-transignalling signature and neutrophil activation.

CONCLUSION

We describe a Haemophilus influenzae cluster of the highest relative abundance associated with neutrophilic inflammation and NETosis indicating a host response to the bacteria. This phenotype of severe asthma may respond to specific antibiotics.

RNA Binding Proteins that Mediate LPS-induced Alternative Splicing of the MyD88 Innate Immune Regulator

Inflammation driven by Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways is required to combat infection. However, inflammation can damage host tissues; thus it is essential that TLR signaling ultimately is terminated to prevent chronic inflammatory disorders. One mechanism that terminates persistent TLR signaling is alternative splicing of the MyD88 signaling adaptor, which functions in multiple TLR signaling pathways. While the canonical long isoform of MyD88 (MyD88-L) mediates TLR signaling and promotes inflammation, an alternatively-spliced shorter isoform of MyD88 (MyD88-S) produces a dominant negative inhibitor of TLR signaling. MyD88-S production is induced by inflammatory agonists including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and thus MyD88-S induction is thought to act as a negative feedback loop that prevents chronic inflammation. Despite the potential role that MyD88-S production plays in inflammatory disorders, the mechanisms controlling MyD88 alternative splicing remain unclear. Here, we identify two RNA binding proteins, SRSF1 and HNRNPU, that regulate LPS-induced alternative splicing of MyD88.

Asthma-associated bacterial infections: Are they protective or deleterious?

Eosinophilic, noneosinophilic, or mixed granulocytic inflammations are the hallmarks of asthma heterogeneity. Depending on the priming of lung immune and structural cells, subjects with asthma might generate immune responses that are TH2-prone or TH17-prone immune response. Bacterial infections caused by Haemophilus, Moraxella, or Streptococcus spp. induce the secretion of IL-17, which in turn recruit neutrophils into the airways. Clinical studies and experimental models of asthma indicated that neutrophil infiltration induces a specific phenotype of asthma, characterized by an impaired response to corticosteroid treatment. The understanding of pathways that regulate the TH17-neutrophils axis is critical to delineate and develop host-directed therapies that might control asthma and its exacerbation episodes that course with infectious comorbidities. In this review, we outline clinical and experimental studies on the role of airway epithelial cells, S100A9, and high mobility group box 1, which act in concert with the IL-17-neutrophil axis activated by bacterial infections, and are related with asthma that is difficult to treat. Furthermore, we report critically our view in the light of these findings in an attempt to stimulate further investigations and development of immunotherapies for the control of severe asthma.

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing as a mechanism for terminating Toll-like Receptor signaling

While inflammation induced by Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is required to combat infection, persistent inflammation can damage host tissues and contribute to a myriad of acute and chronic inflammatory disorders. Thus, it is essential not only that TLR signaling be activated in the presence of pathogens but that TLR signaling is ultimately terminated. One mechanism that limits persistent TLR signaling is alternative pre-mRNA splicing. In addition to encoding the canonical mRNAs that produce proteins that promote inflammation, many genes in the TLR signaling pathway also encode alternative mRNAs that produce proteins that are dominant negative inhibitors of signaling. Many of these negative regulators are induced by immune challenge, so production of these alternative isoforms represents a negative feedback loop that limits persistent inflammation. While these alternative splicing events have been investigated on a gene by gene basis, there has been limited systemic analysis of this mechanism that terminates TLR signaling. Here we review what is known about the production of negatively acting alternative isoforms in the TLR signaling pathway including how these inhibitors function, how they are produced, and what role they may play in inflammatory disease.

An Integrated Analysis Reveals Geniposide Extracted From Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis Regulates Calcium Signaling Pathway Essential for Influenza A Virus Replication

Geniposide, an iridoid glycoside purified from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis, has been reported to possess pleiotropic activity against different diseases. In particular, geniposide possesses a variety of biological activities and exerts good therapeutic effects in the treatment of several strains of the influenza virus. However, the molecular mechanism for the therapeutic effect has not been well defined. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of geniposide on influenza A virus (IAV). The potential targets and signaling pathways of geniposide in the IAV infection were predicted using network pharmacology analysis. According to the result of network pharmacology analysis, we validated the calcium signaling pathway induced by IAV and investigated the effect of geniposide extracted from Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis on this pathway. The primary Gene Ontology (GO) biological processes and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that geniposide has a multi-target and multi-pathway inhibitory effect against influenza, and one of the mechanisms involves calcium signaling pathway. In the current study, geniposide treatment greatly decreased the levels of RNA polymerase in HEK-293T cells infected with IAV. Knocking down CAMKII in IAV-infected HEK-293T cells enhanced virus RNA (vRNA) production. Geniposide treatment increased CAMKII expression after IAV infection. Meanwhile, the CREB and c-Fos expressions were inhibited by geniposide after IAV infection. The experimental validation data showed that the geniposide was able to alleviate extracellular Ca2+ influx, dramatically decreased neuraminidase activity, and suppressed IAV replication in vitro via regulating the calcium signaling pathway. These anti-IAV effects might be related to the disrupted interplay between IAV RNA polymerase and CAMKII and the regulation of the downstream calcium signaling pathway essential for IAV replication. Taken together, the findings reveal a new facet of the mechanism by which geniposide fights IAV in a way that depends on CAMKII replication.

Absence of Non-Canonical, Inhibitory MYD88 Splice Variants in B Cell Lymphomas Correlates With Sustained NF-κB Signaling

Gain-of-function mutations of the TLR adaptor and oncoprotein MyD88 drive B cell lymphomagenesis via sustained NF-κB activation. In myeloid cells, both short and sustained TLR activation and NF-κB activation lead to the induction of inhibitory MYD88 splice variants that restrain prolonged NF-κB activation. We therefore sought to investigate whether such a negative feedback loop exists in B cells. Analyzing MYD88 splice variants in normal B cells and different primary B cell malignancies, we observed that MYD88 splice variants in transformed B cells are dominated by the canonical, strongly NF-κB-activating isoform of MYD88 and contain at least three novel, so far uncharacterized signaling-competent splice isoforms. Sustained TLR stimulation in B cells unexpectedly reinforces splicing of NF-κB-promoting, canonical isoforms rather than the 'MyD88s', a negative regulatory isoform reported to be typically induced by TLRs in myeloid cells. This suggests that an essential negative feedback loop restricting TLR signaling in myeloid cells at the level of alternative splicing, is missing in B cells when they undergo proliferation, rendering B cells vulnerable to sustained NF-κB activation and eventual lymphomagenesis. Our results uncover MYD88 alternative splicing as an unappreciated promoter of B cell lymphomagenesis and provide a rationale why oncogenic MYD88 mutations are exclusively found in B cells.

[Expression of CREB in children with recurrent wheezing and its effect on ORMDL3 gene expression]

OBJECTIVE

To study the expression level of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in children with recurrent wheezing under three years of age and its effect on the expression of the serum orosomucoid 1-like protein 3 (ORMDL3) gene.

METHODS

Thirty-six children with recurrent wheezing under three years of age who visited the hospital from June 2017 to June 2019 were selected as the recurrent wheezing group. Twenty-four healthy children from physical examination were selected as the control group. The CREB expression level in peripheral blood was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were cultured, and dual-luciferase reporter assay and quantitative real-time PCR were used to investigate the effects of overexpression and siRNA interference of CREB on the promoter activity and mRNA expression of the ORMDL3 gene in the BEAS-2B cells.

RESULTS

The expression level of CREB in the recurrent wheezing group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.001). In BEAS-2B cells, overexpression of CREB significantly up-regulated the promoter activity and mRNA expression of the ORMDL3 gene (P<0.05), while siRNA interference of CREB significantly reduced the promoter activity and mRNA expression of the ORMDL3 gene (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of CREB is increased in children with recurrent wheezing, and CREB may be involved in the pathogenesis of recurrent wheezing by regulating expression of the ORMDL3 gene.

NF-κB mediates lipopolysaccharide-induced alternative pre-mRNA splicing of MyD88 in mouse macrophages

Although a robust inflammatory response is needed to combat infection, this response must ultimately be terminated to prevent chronic inflammation. One mechanism that terminates inflammatory signaling is the production of alternative mRNA splice forms in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway. Whereas most genes in the TLR pathway encode positive mediators of inflammatory signaling, several, including that encoding the MyD88 signaling adaptor, also produce alternative spliced mRNA isoforms that encode dominant-negative inhibitors of the response. Production of these negatively acting alternatively spliced isoforms is induced by stimulation with the TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS); thus, this alternative pre-mRNA splicing represents a negative feedback loop that terminates TLR signaling and prevents chronic inflammation. In the current study, we investigated the mechanisms regulating the LPS-induced alternative pre-mRNA splicing of the MyD88 transcript in murine macrophages. We found that 1) the induction of the alternatively spliced MyD88 form is due to alternative pre-mRNA splicing and not caused by another RNA regulatory mechanism, 2) MyD88 splicing is regulated by both the MyD88- and TRIF-dependent arms of the TLR signaling pathway, 3) MyD88 splicing is regulated by the NF-κB transcription factor, and 4) NF-κB likely regulates MyD88 alternative pre-mRNA splicing per se rather than regulating splicing indirectly by altering MyD88 transcription. We conclude that alternative splicing of MyD88 may provide a sensitive mechanism that ensures robust termination of inflammation for tissue repair and restoration of normal tissue homeostasis once an infection is controlled.

Resveratrol suppresses NTHi-induced inflammation via up-regulation of the negative regulator MyD88 short

Upper respiratory tract inflammatory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) affect more than one-half billion people globally and are characterized by chronic inflammation that is often exacerbated by respiratory pathogens such as nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). The increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and the limited success of currently available pharmaceuticals used to manage the symptoms of these diseases present an urgent need for the development of novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents. Resveratrol has long been thought as an interesting therapeutic agent for various diseases including inflammatory diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammatory properties remain largely unknown. Here we show for the first time that resveratrol decreases expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in airway epithelial cells and in the lung of mice by enhancing NTHi-induced MyD88 short, a negative regulator of inflammation, via inhibition of ERK1/2 activation. Furthermore, resveratrol inhibits NTHi-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation by increasing MKP-1 expression via a cAMP-PKA-dependent signaling pathway. Finally, we show that resveratrol has anti-inflammatory effects post NTHi infection, thereby demonstrating its therapeutic potential. Together these data reveal a novel mechanism by which resveratrol alleviates NTHi-induced inflammation in airway disease by up-regulating the negative regulator of inflammation MyD88s.