TLR2 and Nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular Ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis.

Our murine models of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) have shown that severe and fatal ehrlichiosis is due to generation of pathogenic T cell responses causing immunopathology and multi-organ failure. However, the early events in the liver, the main site of infection, are not well understood. In t...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Partho Chattoraj, Qin Yang, Ankita Khandai, Omar Al-Hendy, Nahed Ismail
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3602367?pdf=render
_version_ 1818128258587164672
author Partho Chattoraj
Qin Yang
Ankita Khandai
Omar Al-Hendy
Nahed Ismail
author_facet Partho Chattoraj
Qin Yang
Ankita Khandai
Omar Al-Hendy
Nahed Ismail
author_sort Partho Chattoraj
collection DOAJ
description Our murine models of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) have shown that severe and fatal ehrlichiosis is due to generation of pathogenic T cell responses causing immunopathology and multi-organ failure. However, the early events in the liver, the main site of infection, are not well understood. In this study, we examined the liver transcriptome during the course of lethal and nonlethal infections caused by Ixodes ovatus Ehrlichia and Ehrlichia muris, respectively. On day 3 post-infection (p.i.), although most host genes were down regulated in the two groups of infected mice compared to naïve counterparts, lethal infection induced significantly higher expression of caspase 1, caspase 4, nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-containing proteins (Nod1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 10, and CCL7 compared to nonlethal infection. On day 7 p.i., lethal infection induced highly significant upregulation of type-1 interferon, several inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which was associated with increased expression levels of Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2), Nod2, MyD88, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), Caspase 4, NLRP1, NLRP12, Pycard, and IL-1β, suggesting enhanced TLR signals and inflammasomes activation. We next evaluated the participation of TLR2 and Nod2 in the host response during lethal Ehrlichia infection. Although lack of TLR2 impaired bacterial elimination and increased tissue necrosis, Nod2 deficiency attenuated pathology and enhanced bacterial clearance, which correlated with increased interferon-γ and interleukin-10 levels and a decreased frequency of pathogenic CD8(+) T cells in response to lethal infection. Thus, these data indicate that Nod2, but not TLR2, contributes to susceptibility to severe Ehrlichia-induced shock. Together, our studies provide, for the first time, insight into the diversity of host factors and novel molecular pathogenic mechanisms that may contribute to severe HME.
first_indexed 2024-12-11T07:30:24Z
format Article
id doaj.art-afacfe8c88cf4e728ab75a030dc301d7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-11T07:30:24Z
publishDate 2013-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-afacfe8c88cf4e728ab75a030dc301d72022-12-22T01:15:51ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0183e5851410.1371/journal.pone.0058514TLR2 and Nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular Ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis.Partho ChattorajQin YangAnkita KhandaiOmar Al-HendyNahed IsmailOur murine models of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) have shown that severe and fatal ehrlichiosis is due to generation of pathogenic T cell responses causing immunopathology and multi-organ failure. However, the early events in the liver, the main site of infection, are not well understood. In this study, we examined the liver transcriptome during the course of lethal and nonlethal infections caused by Ixodes ovatus Ehrlichia and Ehrlichia muris, respectively. On day 3 post-infection (p.i.), although most host genes were down regulated in the two groups of infected mice compared to naïve counterparts, lethal infection induced significantly higher expression of caspase 1, caspase 4, nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-containing proteins (Nod1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 10, and CCL7 compared to nonlethal infection. On day 7 p.i., lethal infection induced highly significant upregulation of type-1 interferon, several inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which was associated with increased expression levels of Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2), Nod2, MyD88, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), Caspase 4, NLRP1, NLRP12, Pycard, and IL-1β, suggesting enhanced TLR signals and inflammasomes activation. We next evaluated the participation of TLR2 and Nod2 in the host response during lethal Ehrlichia infection. Although lack of TLR2 impaired bacterial elimination and increased tissue necrosis, Nod2 deficiency attenuated pathology and enhanced bacterial clearance, which correlated with increased interferon-γ and interleukin-10 levels and a decreased frequency of pathogenic CD8(+) T cells in response to lethal infection. Thus, these data indicate that Nod2, but not TLR2, contributes to susceptibility to severe Ehrlichia-induced shock. Together, our studies provide, for the first time, insight into the diversity of host factors and novel molecular pathogenic mechanisms that may contribute to severe HME.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3602367?pdf=render
spellingShingle Partho Chattoraj
Qin Yang
Ankita Khandai
Omar Al-Hendy
Nahed Ismail
TLR2 and Nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular Ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis.
PLoS ONE
title TLR2 and Nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular Ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis.
title_full TLR2 and Nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular Ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis.
title_fullStr TLR2 and Nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular Ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis.
title_full_unstemmed TLR2 and Nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular Ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis.
title_short TLR2 and Nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular Ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis.
title_sort tlr2 and nod2 mediate resistance or susceptibility to fatal intracellular ehrlichia infection in murine models of ehrlichiosis
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3602367?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT parthochattoraj tlr2andnod2mediateresistanceorsusceptibilitytofatalintracellularehrlichiainfectioninmurinemodelsofehrlichiosis
AT qinyang tlr2andnod2mediateresistanceorsusceptibilitytofatalintracellularehrlichiainfectioninmurinemodelsofehrlichiosis
AT ankitakhandai tlr2andnod2mediateresistanceorsusceptibilitytofatalintracellularehrlichiainfectioninmurinemodelsofehrlichiosis
AT omaralhendy tlr2andnod2mediateresistanceorsusceptibilitytofatalintracellularehrlichiainfectioninmurinemodelsofehrlichiosis
AT nahedismail tlr2andnod2mediateresistanceorsusceptibilitytofatalintracellularehrlichiainfectioninmurinemodelsofehrlichiosis