pORF5 plasmid protein of Chlamydia trachomatis induces MAPK-mediated pro-inflammatory cytokines via TLR2 activation in THP-1 cells

• Published in: Science China. Life sciences Vol. 56; no. 5; pp. 460 - 466
• Main Authors: Zhou, Hui, Huang, QiuLin, Li, ZhongYu, Wu, YiMou, Xie, XiaoBing, Ma, KangKang, Cao, WenJuan, Zhou, Zhou, Lu, ChunXue, Zhong, GuangMing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Science China Press 01-05-2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Blotting, Western; Cell Line; Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydia trachomatis - genetics; Chlamydia trachomatis - metabolism; Chlamydia trachomatis - physiology; Cytokines - metabolism; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Inflammation Mediators - metabolism; Interleukin-1beta - metabolism; Interleukin-8 - metabolism; Life Sciences; Monocytes - metabolism; Monocytes - microbiology; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Plasmids - genetics; Plasmids - metabolism; Research Paper; Toll-Like Receptor 2 - metabolism; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; 沙眼衣原体; 炎性细胞因子; 炎症; 白细胞介素-1β; 肿瘤坏死因子α; 蛋白激酶; 衣原体感染; 诱导; mitogen-activated protein kinase; proinflammatory cytokines; pORF5 plasmid protein; TLR2
• ISSN: 1674-7305; 1869-1889
• DOI: 10.1007/s11427-013-4470-8

Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis induces inflammatory pathologies in the urogenital tract that can lead to infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Pathogenesis of infection has been mostly attributed to excessive cytokine production. However, precise mechanisms on how C. trachomatis triggers this production, and which protein（s） stimulate inflammatory cytokines remains unknown. In the present study, the C. trachomatis pORF5 protein induced tumor necrosis factor alpha （TNF-a）, interleukin-1 beta （IL-1β） and interleukin-8 （IL-8） in dose and time-dependent manners in the THP-1 human monocyte cell line. We found that intracellular p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） and extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）/MAPK signaling pathways were required for the induction of TNF- a, IL-1β and IL-8. Blockade of toll-like receptor 2 （TLR2） signaling reduced induction levels of TNF-a, IL-8 and IL-1β. We concluded that the C. trachomatis pORF5 protein might contribute to the inflammatory processes associated with chlamydial infections.