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Interleukin-36α (Il-36α) is a member of the novel Il-1-like proinflammatory cytokine family that is highly expressed in epithelial tissues and several myeloid-derived cell types. We have recently shown that CCAAT enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ) binds specifically to an essential half cAMP response element (half-CRE)•C/EBP motif in the Il36A promoter to induce Il36A expression upon LPS stimulation. C/EBPs are transcription factors belonging to the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family of transcriptional regulators. C/EBP proteins can form homo- and heterodimers and regulate gene expression by binding to C/EBP specific recognition sequences and composite sites that can contain 5′-cytosine-phosphate-guanine-3′ dinucleotides (CpG). CpG methylation of such elements has been shown to influence transcription factor binding and gene expression. Here we show that the half-CRE•C/EBP element in the Il36A promoter is differentially methylated in the murine RAW264.7 macrophage cell line and in primary murine macrophages. By using electrophoretic mobility gel shift and fluorescence polarization assays we demonstrate that C/EBPβ binding to the half-CRE•C/EBP element in the Il36A promoter following LPS stimulation is insensitive to CpG methylation. Transfection assays also show that methylation of the CpG in the half-CRE•C/EBP element does not alter LPS-induced Il36A promoter activity. A direct comparison of Il36A mRNA copy numbers as well as the pro-Il-36α protein level in RAW264.7 and primary macrophages revealed similar amounts in both cell types. Taken together, our data suggest that C/EBPβ binding to the half-CRE•C/EBP element and C/EBPβ mediated gene activation occurs independently of the CpG methylation status of the target DNA sequence and underline the potential of C/EBPβ to recognize methylated as well as unmethylated binding sites.

Interleukin-36α is a novel member of the IL-1 cytokine family that is highly expressed in epithelial tissues and several myeloid-derived cell types after induction. The transcription factor (TF) C/EBPβ binds specifically to an essential half-CRE•C/EBP motif in the Il36a promoter to induce Il36a expression upon LPS stimulation. C/EBPs regulate gene expression by binding to recognition sequences that can contain 5′-cytosine-phosphate-guanine-3′ dinucleotides (CpG), whose methylation can influence TF binding and gene expression. Herein we show that the half-CRE•C/EBP element in the Il36a promoter is differentially methylated in the murine RAW264.7 macrophage cell line and in primary murine macrophages. We demonstrate that C/EBPβ binding to the half-CRE•C/EBP element in the Il36a promoter following LPS stimulation is insensitive to CpG methylation and that methylation of the CpG in the half-CRE•C/EBP element does not alter LPS-induced Il36a promoter activity which correlated with similar Il36a mRNA copy numbers and pro-IL-36α protein amount in both cell types. Taken together, our data indicate that C/EBPβ binding to the half-CRE•C/EBP element and subsequent gene activation occurs independently of the CpG methylation status of the half-CRE•C/EBP motif and underlines the potential of C/EBPs to recognize methylated as well as unmethylated motifs.

Interleukin (IL)-36α - one of the novel members of the IL-1 family of cytokines - is a potent regulator of dendritic and T cells and plays an important role in inflammatory processes like experimental skin inflammation in mice and in mouse models for human psoriasis. Here, we demonstrate that C/EBPβ, a transcription factor required for the selective expression of inflammatory genes, is a key activator of the Il36A gene in murine macrophages. RNAi-mediated suppression of C/EBPβ expression in macrophages (C/EBPβ(low) cells) significantly impaired Il36A gene induction following challenge with LPS. Despite the presence of five predicted C/EBP binding sites, luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that C/EBPβ confers responsiveness to LPS primarily through a half-CRE•C/EBP element in the proximal Il36A promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that C/EBPβ but not CREB proteins interact with this critical half-CRE•C/EBP element. In addition, overexpression of C/EBPβ in C/EBPβ(low) cells enhanced the expression of Il36A whereas CREB-1 had no effect. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed that C/EBPβ but neither CREB-1, ATF-2 nor ATF4 is directly recruited to the proximal promoter region of the Il36A gene. Together, these findings demonstrate an essential role of C/EBPβ in the regulation of the Il36A gene via the proximal half-CRE•C/EBP element in response to inflammatory stimuli.

Type I interferons (IFN-I), such as IFN-α and IFN-β are important messengers in the host response against bacterial infections. Knowledge about the role of IFN-I in infections by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is limited. Here we show that macrophages infected with pathogens of the Mycobacterium avium complex produced significantly lower amounts of IFN-β than macrophages infected with the opportunistic pathogen M. smegmatis. To dissect the molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon, we focused on the obligate pathogen Mycobacterium avium ssp paratuberculosis (MAP) and the opportunistic M. smegmatis. Viability of both bacteria was required for induction of IFN-β in macrophages. Both bacteria induced IFN-β via the cGAS-STING-TBK1-IRF3/7-pathway of IFN-β activation. Stronger phosphorylation of TBK1 and higher amounts of extracellular bacterial DNA in the macrophage cytosol were found in M. smegmatis infected macrophages than in MAP infected macrophages. After intraperitoneal infection of mice, a strong Ifnb induction by M. smegmatis correlated with clearance of the bacteria. In contrast, MAP only induced weak Ifnb expression which correlated with bacterial persistence and increased number of granulomas in the liver. In mice lacking the type I interferon receptor we observed improved survival of M. smegmatis while survival of MAP was similar to that in wildtype mice. On the other hand, treatment of MAP infected wildtype mice with the IFN-I inducer poly(I:C) or recombinant IFN-β impaired the survival of MAP. This indicates an essential role of IFN-I in clearing infections by MAP and M. smegmatis. The expression level of IFN-I is decisive for transient versus persistent NTM infection.

One of the major problems associated with the development of a vaccine against Streptococcus pyogenes is the ability of this pathogen to escape recognition by antibodies directed against conserved surface-associated determinants and to establish infection in the setting of an acquired immune response. Identification of the mechanism(s) used by S. pyogenes to avoid recognition by antigen-specific antibodies and escape killing in blood was the focus of this study. We showed here that S. pyogenes was capable of surviving in human blood containing high levels of antibodies directed against the G-related alpha2-macroglobulin-binding protein GRAB, a highly conserved bacterial surface protein. S. pyogenes upregulated the hyaluronic acid capsule production during incubation with human blood, suggesting that the capsule may structurally minimize antibody access to protein GRAB. This hypothesis was confirmed by the ability of anti-GRAB antibodies to promote opsonophagocytosis of a capsule-deficient mutant of S. pyogenes but not of the encapsulated wild-type strain. Capsule upregulation and protection of S. pyogenes from opsonophagocytosis in the presence of anti-GRAB antibodies was also observed in a murine model of streptococcal infection. Thus, masking of surface immunogenic determinants by the hyaluronic acid capsule may constitute a novel mechanism of S. pyogenes for evasion of antigen-specific antibodies.