Differential immunostimulatory effects of Gram-positive bacteria due to their lipoteichoic acids

Young Hee Ryu, Jung Eun Baik, Jae Seung Yang, Seok Seong Kang, Jintaek Im, Cheol Heui Yun, Dong Wook Kim, Kangseok Lee, Dae Kyun Chung, Hyang Ran Ju, Seung Hyun Han

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

153 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a major immunostimulating component in the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria as lipopolysaccharide of Gram-negative bacteria. However, LTA is expressed on not only pathogenic but also nonpathogenic Gram-positive bacteria. In order to examine whether the immunostimulating potentials of Gram-positive bacteria are correlated with their LTAs, we prepared highly pure LTAs from Staphylococcus aureus (pathogenic), Bacillus subtilis (non-pathogenic), or Lactobacillus plantarum (beneficial). When a murine macrophage cell-line, RAW 264.7, was stimulated with heat-killed bacteria, both S. aureus and B. subtilis induced nitric oxide (NO) production in a dose-dependent manner while L. plantarum showed a minimal induction. Interestingly, purified LTAs from S. aureus and B. subtilis, but not from L. plantarum, were able to induce the production of NO. The differential inflammatory potentials of LTAs coincided with their abilities to activate Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), which is known to recognize Gram-positive bacteria and LTA, and transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1. Similar results were obtained with the expression of cytokines related to inflammation by RAW 264.7 and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells as well. The ability of LTA to induce TNF-α and NO production was abolished when the LTAs were treated with 0.2 N NaOH. Collectively, we suggest that the immunostimulating potentials of Gram-positive bacteria differ due to their LTAs with differential potencies in the stimulation of TLR2.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)127-133
Number of pages7
JournalInternational Immunopharmacology
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2009

Keywords

  • Gram-positive bacteria
  • Innate immunity
  • Lipoteichoic acid
  • Toll-like receptor

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