Orphan receptor IL-17RD tunes IL-17A signalling and is required for neutrophilia

Interleukin-17A, the prototypical member of the interleukin-17 cytokine family, coordinates local tissue inflammation by recruiting neutrophils to sites of infection. Dysregulation of interleukin-17 signalling has been linked to the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases and autoimmunity. The interleukin-17 receptor family members (A-E) have a broad range of functional effects in immune signalling yet no known role has been described for the remaining orphan receptor, interleukin-17 receptor D, in regulating interleukin-17A-induced signalling pathways. Here we demonstrate that interleukin-17 receptor D can differentially regulate the various pathways employed by interleukin-17A. Neutrophil recruitment, in response to in vivo administration of interleukin-17A, is abolished in interleukin-17 receptor D-deficient mice, correlating with reduced interleukin-17A-induced activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and expression of the neutrophil chemokine MIP-2. In contrast, interleukin-17 receptor D deficiency results in enhanced interleukin-17A-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappa B and interleukin-6 and keratinocyte chemoattractant expression. Interleukin-17 receptor D disrupts the interaction of Act1 and TRAF6 causing differential regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

The poxvirus protein A52R targets Toll-like receptor signaling complexes to suppress host defense

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are crucial in the innate immune response to pathogens, in that they recognize and respond to pathogen associated molecular patterns, which leads to activation of intracellular signaling pathways and altered gene expression. Vaccinia virus (VV), the poxvirus used to vaccinate against smallpox, encodes proteins that antagonize important components of host antiviral defense. Here we show that the VV protein A52R blocks the activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) by multiple TLRs, including TLR3, a recently identified receptor for viral RNA. A52R associates with both interleukin 1 receptor-associated kinase 2 (IRAK2) and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), two key proteins important in TLR signal transduction. Further, A52R could disrupt signaling complexes containing these proteins. A virus deletion mutant lacking the A52R gene was attenuated compared with wild-type and revertant controls in a murine intranasal model of infection. This study reveals a novel mechanism used by VV to suppress the host immunity. We demonstrate viral disabling of TLRs, providing further evidence for an important role for this family of receptors in the antiviral response.

Mal (MyD88-adapter-like) is required for Toll-like receptor-4 signal transduction

The recognition of microbial pathogens by the innate immune system involves Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Different TLRs recognize different pathogen-associated molecular patterns, with TLR-4 mediating the response to lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative bacteria. All TLRs have a Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain, which is responsible for signal transduction. MyD88 is one such protein that contains a TIR domain. It acts as an adapter, being involved in TLR-2, TLR-4 and TLR-9 signalling; however, our understanding of how TLR-4 signals is incomplete. Here we describe a protein, Mal (MyD88-adapter-like), which joins MyD88 as a cytoplasmic TIR-domain-containing protein in the human genome. Mal activates NF-kappaB, Jun amino-terminal kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2. Mal can form homodimers and can also form heterodimers with MyD88. Activation of NF-kappaB by Mal requires IRAK-2, but not IRAK, whereas MyD88 requires both IRAKs. Mal associates with IRAK-2 by means of its TIR domain. A dominant negative form of Mal inhibits NF-kappaB, which is activated by TLR-4 or lipopolysaccharide, but it does not inhibit NF-kappaB activation by IL-1RI or IL-18R. Mal associates with TLR-4. Mal is therefore an adapter in TLR-4 signal transduction.