Lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a major cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria, is associated with various inflammatory diseases ranging from minor skin diseases to severe sepsis. It is known that LTA is recognized by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), leading to the initiation of innate immune responses and further development of adaptive immunity. However, excessive immune responses may result in the inflammatory sequelae that are involved in severe diseases such as sepsis. Although numerous studies have tried to identify the molecular basis for the pathophysiology of Gram-positive bacterial infection, the exact role of LTA during the infection has not been clearly elucidated. This review provides an overview of LTA structure and host recognition by TLR2 that leads to the activation of innate immune responses. Emphasis is placed on differential immunostimulating activities of LTAs of various Gram-positive bacteria at the molecular level.

The most prevalent pathogenic mutations in the CFTR (ΔF508) and SLC26A4/pendrin (p.H723R), which cause cystic fibrosis and congenital hearing loss, respectively, evoke protein misfolding and subsequent defects in their cell surface trafficking. Here, we report that activation of the IRE1α kinase pathway can rescue the cell surface expression of ΔF508-CFTR and p.H723R-pendrin through a Golgi-independent unconventional protein secretion (UPS) route. In mammalian cells, inhibition of IRE1α kinase, but not inhibition of IRE1α endonuclease and the downstream effector XBP1, inhibited CFTR UPS. Treatment with the IRE1α kinase activator, (E)-2-(2-chlorostyryl)-3,5,6-trimethyl-pyrazine (CSTMP), rescued cell surface expression and functional activity of ΔF508-CFTR and p.H723R-pendrin. Treatment with a nontoxic dose of CSTMP to ΔF508-CFTR mice restored CFTR surface expression and CFTR-mediated anion transport in the mouse colon. These findings suggest that UPS activation via IRE1α kinase is a strategy to treat diseases caused by defective cell surface trafficking of membrane proteins, including ΔF508-CFTR and p.H723R-pendrin.

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Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate, modulate immune responses in the gut. However, the effect of SCFAs on mucosal vaccine-induced immune cell migration is poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether SCFAs modulate chemokine expression induced by the killed whole-cell oral cholera vaccine, Shanchol™, in human intestinal epithelial cells. Shanchol™ induced expression of CCL2, CCL5, CCL20, and CXCL10 at the mRNA level, but not at the protein level. Interestingly, CCL20 secretion was substantially increased by co-stimulation with Shanchol™ and butyrate, while neither acetate nor propionate showed such effect. Enhanced CCL20 secretion was associated with GPR109A activation, and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition. In addition, co-treatment with Shanchol™ and butyrate synergistically increased the secretion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Moreover, CCL20 secretion was decreased by inhibiting the extracellular ATP receptor P2X7. However, neither inflammasomes nor caspases were involved in CCL20 production. The culture supernatant of cells treated with Shanchol™ and butyrate augmented human immature dendritic cell migration. Collectively, these results suggest that butyrate enhances Shanchol™-induced CCL20 production in human intestinal epithelial cells via HDAC inhibition and ATP-P2X7 signaling by activating GPR109A. These effects potentially enhance the mucosal immune responses in the gut induced by this oral cholera vaccine.

Under ER stress conditions, the ER form of transmembrane proteins can reach the plasma membrane via a Golgi‐independent unconventional protein secretion (UPS) pathway. However, the targeting mechanisms of membrane proteins for UPS are unknown. Here, this study reports that TMED proteins play a critical role in the ER stress‐associated UPS of transmembrane proteins. The gene silencing results reveal that TMED2, TMED3, TMED9 and TMED10 are involved in the UPS of transmembrane proteins, such as CFTR, pendrin and SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike. Subsequent mechanistic analyses indicate that TMED3 recognizes the ER core‐glycosylated protein cargos and that the heteromeric TMED2/3/9/10 complex mediates their UPS. Co‐expression of all four TMEDs improves, while each single expression reduces, the UPS and ion transport function of trafficking‐deficient ΔF508‐CFTR and p.H723R‐pendrin, which cause cystic fibrosis and Pendred syndrome, respectively. In contrast, TMED2/3/9/10 silencing reduces SARS‐CoV‐2 viral release. These results provide evidence for a common role of TMED3 and related TMEDs in the ER stress‐associated, Golgi‐independent secretion of transmembrane proteins.

Enterococcus faecalis, a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen having lipoteichoic acid (LTA) as a major virulence factor, is closely associated with refractory apical periodontitis. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are found in the apical lesion and may affect inflammatory responses induced by E. faecalis. In the current study, we investigated inflammasome activation by E. faecalis LTA (Ef.LTA) and SCFAs in THP-1 cells. Among SCFAs, butyrate in combination with Ef.LTA markedly enhanced caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion whereas these were not induced by Ef.LTA or butyrate alone. Notably, LTAs from Streptococcus gordonii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis also showed these effects. Activation of TLR2/GPCR, K+ efflux, and NF-κB were necessary for the IL-1β secretion induced by Ef.LTA/butyrate. The inflammasome complex comprising NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 was activated by Ef.LTA/butyrate. In addition, caspase-4 inhibitor diminished IL-1β cleavage and release, indicating that non-canonical activation of the inflammasome is also involved. Ef.LTA/butyrate induced Gasdermin D cleavage, but not the release of the pyroptosis marker, lactate dehydrogenase. This indicated that Ef.LTA/butyrate induces IL-1β production without cell death. Trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, enhanced Ef.LTA/butyrate-induced IL-1β production, indicating that HDAC is engaged in the inflammasome activation. Furthermore, Ef.LTA and butyrate synergistically induced the pulp necrosis that accompanies IL-1β expression in the rat apical periodontitis model. Taken all these results together, Ef.LTA in the presence of butyrate is suggested to facilitate both canonical- and non-canonical inflammasome activation in macrophages via HDAC inhibition. This potentially contributes to dental inflammatory diseases such as apical periodontitis, particularly associated with Gram-positive bacterial infection.