Abstract
The bacterium Bacillus anthracis causes the death of macrophages, which may allow it to avoid detection by the innate immune system. We found that B. anthracis lethal factor (LF) selectively induces apoptosis of activated macrophages by cleaving the amino-terminal extension of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinases (MKKs) that activate p38 MAPKs. Because macrophages that are deficient in transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) are also sensitive to activation-induced death and p38 is required for expression of certain NF-kappaB target genes, p38 is probably essential for synergistic induction of those NF-kappaB target genes that prevent apoptosis of activated macrophages. This dismantling of the p38 MAPK module represents a strategy used by B. anthracis to paralyze host innate immunity.
MeSH Terms
Animals
Antigens, Bacterial
Apoptosis
Bacterial Toxins/toxicity
Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases/genetics,metabolism
Carrier Proteins/toxicity
Cell Line
Enzyme Activation
Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology
Gene Expression
I-kappa B Kinase
Imidazoles/pharmacology
Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology
MAP Kinase Kinase 3
MAP Kinase Kinase 6
MAP Kinase Signaling System
Macrophage Activation
Macrophages/enzymology,immunology,physiology
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases/genetics,metabolism
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors,metabolism
NF-kappa B/genetics,metabolism
Necrosis
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics,metabolism
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/genetics,metabolism
Pyridines/pharmacology
Teichoic Acids/pharmacology
Transcription Factor RelA
p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
Chemicals
Antigens, Bacterial
Bacterial Toxins
Carrier Proteins
Enzyme Inhibitors
Imidazoles
Lipopolysaccharides
NF-kappa B
Pyridines
Teichoic Acids
Transcription Factor RelA
anthrax toxin
lipoteichoic acid
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
Chuk protein, mouse
I-kappa B Kinase
Ikbkb protein, mouse
Ikbke protein, mouse
Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
MAP Kinase Kinase 3
MAP Kinase Kinase 6
Map2k3 protein, mouse
Map2k6 protein, mouse
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)imidazole
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Park Jin Mo
Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0636, USA.
Greten Florian R
Li Zhi-Wei
Karin Michael