Differential Role for c-Rel and C/EBPβ/δ in TLR-Mediated Induction of Proinflammatory Cytokines

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 182; no. 11; pp. 7212 - 7221
• Main Authors: Lu, Yong-Chen, Kim, Ira, Lye, Elizabeth, Shen, Fang, Suzuki, Nobutaka, Suzuki, Shinobu, Gerondakis, Steve, Akira, Shizuo, Gaffen, Sarah L., Yeh, Wen-Chen, Ohashi, Pamela S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2009
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0802971

Abstract TLR stimulation triggers a signaling pathway via MyD88 and IL-1R-associated kinase 4 that is essential for proinflammatory cytokine induction. Although NF-κB has been shown to be one of the key transcriptional regulators of these cytokines, evidence suggests that other factors may also be important. In this study, we showed that MyD88-deficient macrophages have defective c-Rel activation, which has been linked to IL-12p40 induction, but not IL-6 or TNF-α. We also investigated other transcription factors and showed that C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ expression was limited in MyD88- or IL-1R-associated kinase 4-deficient macrophages treated with LPS. Importantly, the absence of both C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ resulted in the impaired induction of proinflammatory cytokines stimulated by several TLR ligands. Our results identify c-Rel and C/EBPβ/δ as important transcription factors in a MyD88-dependent pathway that regulate the induction of proinflammatory cytokines.