Genome-wide expression analysis demonstrates a dominant role of TLR4 for activation of human phagocytes by the alarmin MRP8

The alarmins myeloid-related protein (MRP) 8 and MRP14 are the dominant cytoplasmic proteins in phagocytes. After release by activated phagocytes extracellular MRP8/MRP14 complexes promote inflammation in many diseases, including infections, allergies, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease. As receptors for the pro-inflammatory effects of human MRP8, the active component of the MRP8/MRP14-complex, Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and the multi-ligand receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) are controversial discussed. Using a comparative bioinformatics analysis between genome-wide response patterns of monocytes to MRP8, endotoxin and different cytokines we demonstrated a dominant role of TLR4 during MRP8-mediated phagocyte activation. The relevance of this signaling pathway could be confirmed in independent cell models for TLR4 and RAGE dependent signaling in mouse and man. In addition to well-known proinflammatory functions of MRP8 our systems biology approach unraveled a novel anti-apoptotic effect of MRP8 on monocytes which was confirmed in independent functional experiments. Our data define the dominance of the TLR4-MRP8 axis in activation of human phagocytes which represents a novel attractive target for modulation of overwhelming innate immune responses.

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Fassl SK, Austermann J, Papantonopoulou O, Riemenschneider M, Xue J, Bertheloot D, Freise N, Spiekermann C, Witten A, Viemann D, Kirschnek S, Stoll M, Latz E, Schultze JL, Roth J, Vogl T