Transcriptional activation of cytokines, such as type-I interferons (interferon (IFN)-alpha and IFN-beta), constitutes the first line of antiviral defence. Here we show that translational control is critical for induction of type-I IFN production. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking the translational repressors 4E-BP1 and 4E-BP2, the threshold for eliciting type-I IFN production is lowered. Consequently, replication of encephalomyocarditis virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, influenza virus and Sindbis virus is markedly suppressed. Furthermore, mice with both 4E- and 4E-BP2 genes (also known as Eif4ebp1 and Eif4ebp2, respectively) knocked out are resistant to vesicular stomatitis virus infection, and this correlates with an enhanced type-I IFN production in plasmacytoid dendritic cells and the expression of IFN-regulated genes in the lungs. The enhanced type-I IFN response in 4E-BP1-/- 4E-BP2-/- double knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts is caused by upregulation of interferon regulatory factor 7 (Irf7) messenger RNA translation. These findings highlight the role of 4E-BPs as negative regulators of type-I IFN production, via translational repression of Irf7 mRNA.

The protozoan parasite Leishmania alters the activity of its host cell, the macrophage. However, little is known about the effect of Leishmania infection on host protein synthesis. Here, we show that the Leishmania protease GP63 cleaves the mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine kinase that regulates the translational repressor 4E-BP1. mTOR cleavage results in the inhibition of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and concomitant activation of 4E-BP1 to promote Leishmania proliferation. Consistent with these results, pharmacological activation of 4E-BPs with rapamycin, results in a dramatic increase in parasite replication. In contrast, genetic deletion of 4E-BP1/2 reduces parasite load in macrophages ex vivo and decreases susceptibility to cutaneous leishmaniasis in vivo. The parasite resistant phenotype of 4E-BP1/2 double-knockout mice involves an enhanced type I IFN response. This study demonstrates that Leishmania evolved a survival mechanism by activating 4E-BPs, which serve as major targets for host translational control.

NO overproduction has been suggested to contribute to the immunopathology related to malaria infection. Even though a role for some parasite molecules (e.g., GPI) in NO induction has been proposed, the direct contribution of hemozoin (HZ), another parasite metabolite, remains to be established. Therefore, we were interested to determine whether Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) HZ and synthetic HZ, β-hematin, alone or in combination with IFN-γ, were able to induce macrophage (Mφ) NO synthesis. We observed that neither Pf HZ nor synthetic HZ led to NO generation in B10R murine Mφ; however, they significantly increased IFN-γ-mediated inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA and protein expression, and NO production. Next, by investigating the transductional mechanisms involved in this cellular regulation, we established that HZ induces extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation as well as NF-κB binding to the iNOS promoter, and enhances the IFN-γ-dependent activation of both second messengers. Of interest, cell pretreatment with specific inhibitors against either NF-κB or the ERK1/2 pathway blocked the HZ + IFN-γ-inducible NF-κB activity and significantly reduced the HZ-dependent increase on IFN-γ-mediated iNOS and NO induction. Even though selective inhibition of the Janus kinase 2/STAT1α pathway suppressed NO synthesis in response to HZ + IFN-γ, HZ alone did not activate this signaling pathway and did not have an up-regulating effect on the IFN-γ-induced Janus kinase 2/STAT1α phosphorylation and STAT1α binding to the iNOS promoter. In conclusion, our results suggest that HZ exerts a potent synergistic effect on the IFN-γ-inducible NO generation in Mφ via ERK- and NF-κB-dependent pathways.

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Type I interferon is an integral component of the antiviral response, and its production is tightly controlled at the levels of transcription and translation. The translation-initiation factor eIF4E is a rate-limiting factor whose activity is regulated by phosphorylation of Ser209. Here we found that mice and fibroblasts in which eIF4E cannot be phosphorylated were less susceptible to virus infection. More production of type I interferon, resulting from less translation of Nfkbia mRNA (which encodes the inhibitor IκBα), largely explained this phenotype. The lower abundance of IκBα resulted in enhanced activity of the transcription factor NF-κB, which promoted the production of IFN-β. Thus, phosphorylation of eIF4E has a key role in antiviral host defense by selectively stimulating the translation of mRNA that encodes a critical suppressor of the innate antiviral response.

Chemokine production has been associated with the immunopathology related to malaria. Previous findings indicated that hemozoin (HZ), a parasite metabolite released during schizogeny, might be an important source of these proinflammatory mediators. In this study we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying HZ-inducible macrophage (Mφ) chemokine mRNA expression. We found that both Plasmodium falciparum HZ and synthetic HZ increase mRNA levels of various chemokine transcripts (MIP-1α/CCL3, MIP-1β/CCL4, MIP-2/CXCL2, and MCP-1/CCL2) in murine B10R Mφ. The cellular response to HZ involved ERK1/2 phosphorylation, NF-κB activation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and ROS-dependent protein-tyrosine phosphatase down-regulation. Selective inhibition of either IκBα or the ERK1/2 pathway abolished both NF-κB activation and chemokine up-regulation. Similarly, blockage of HZ-inducible Mφ ROS with superoxide dismutase suppressed chemokine induction, strongly reduced NF-κB activation, and restored HZ-mediated Mφ protein-tyrosine phosphatase inactivation. In contrast, superoxide dismutase had no effect on EKR1/2 phosphorylation by HZ. Collectively, these data indicate that HZ triggers ROS-dependent and -independent signals, leading to increased chemokine mRNA expression in Mφ. Overall, our findings may help to better understand the molecular mechanisms through which parasite components, such as HZ, modulate the immune response during malaria infection.

SUMMARYNitric oxide (NO) produced by macrophages (Mf) in response to interferon-g (IFN-g) plays a pivotal role in the control of intracellular pathogens. Current knowledge of the speci®c biochemical cascades involved in this IFN-g-inducible Mf function is still limited. In the present study, we evaluated the participation of various second messengers ± Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1a, MAP kinase kinase (MEK1/2), extracellular signalregulated kinases 1 and 2 (Erk1/Erk2) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) ± in the regulation of NO production by IFN-g-stimulated J774 murine Mf. The use of speci®c signalling inhibitors permitted us to establish that JAK2/STAT1a-and Erk1/Erk2-dependent pathways are the main players in IFN-g-inducible Mf NO generation. To determine whether the inhibitory effect was taking place at the pre-and/or post-transcriptional level, we evaluated the effect of each antagonist on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene and protein expression, and on the capacity of IFN-g to induce JAK2, Erk1/Erk2 and STAT1a phosphorylation. All downregulatory effects occurred at the pretranscriptional level, except for NF-kB, which seems to exert its role in NO production through an iNOS-independent event. In addition, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analysis revealed that STAT1a is essential for IFN-g-inducible iNOS expression and NO production, whereas the contribution of NF-kB to this cellular regulation seems to be minimal. Moreover, our data suggest that Erk1/Erk2 are responsible for STAT1a Ser727 residue phosphorylation in IFN-g-stimulated Mf, thus contributing to the full activation of STAT1a. Taken together, our results indicate that JAK2, MEK1/2, Erk1/Erk2 and STAT1a are key players in the IFN-g-inducible generation of NO by Mf.

During malaria infection, high levels of proinflammatory molecules (e.g., cytokines, chemokines) correlate with disease severity. Even if their role as activators of the host immune response has been studied, the direct contribution of hemozoin (HZ), a parasite metabolite, to such a strong induction is not fully understood. Previous in vitro studies demonstrated that both Plasmodium falciparum HZ and synthetic HZ (sHZ), β-hematin, induce macrophage/monocyte chemokine and proinflammatory cytokine secretion. In the present study, we investigated the proinflammatory properties of sHZ in vivo. To this end, increasing doses of sHZ were injected either i.v. or into an air pouch generated on the dorsum of BALB/c mice over a 24-h period. Our results showed that sHZ is a strong modulator of leukocyte recruitment and more specifically of neutrophil and monocyte populations. In addition, evaluation of chemokine and cytokine mRNA and protein expression revealed that sHZ induces the expression of chemokines, macrophage-inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α/CCL3, MIP-1β/CCL4, MIP-2/CXCL2, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1/CCL2; chemokine receptors, CCR1, CCR2, CCR5, CXCR2, and CXCR4; cytokines, IL-1β and IL-6; and myeloid-related proteins, S100A8, S100A9, and S100A8/A9, in the air pouch exudates. Of interest, chemokine and cytokine mRNA up-regulation were also detected in the liver of i.v. sHZ-injected mice. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that sHZ is a potent proinflammatory agent in vivo, which could contribute to the immunopathology related to malaria.