Staphylococcal enterotoxin A induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and lethality in mice is primarily dependent on MyD88

Immunology. 2010 Aug;130(4):516-26. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2010.03249.x. Epub 2010 May 3.

Abstract

Staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) -induced toxic shock is triggered by inflammatory cytokine signal amplification after SE binding to major histocompatibility complex class II molecules on antigen-presenting cells and T-cell receptors. Identifying host cellular elements contributing to this pro-inflammatory signal amplification is critical for developing a strategy for therapeutic intervention. Myeloid differentiation primary-response protein 88 (MyD88) is an intracellular signalling adaptor protein primarily known for mediating pro-inflammatory cytokine responses. We investigated the role of MyD88 in staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) -treated cell cultures and mouse models of toxic shock. Our results demonstrated that elevated levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, interleukin-1alpha/beta (IL-1alpha/beta), IL-2 and IL-6 production correlated with up-regulation of MyD88 after treatment of spleen cells and mice with SEA alone or in combination with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The SEA-induced lethality was also observed in (LPS-independent) D-galactosamine-sensitized mice. While LPS potentiated SEA-induced cytokine responses, D-galactosamine treatment had no additive effect. Most importantly, our results demonstrated that MyD88(-/-) mice were resistant to SEA-induced toxic shock and had reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine responses. These results suggest that SEA-induced lethality is primarily dependent on MyD88. Our findings offer an important insight on potential therapeutic treatment of SEA-induced toxic shock targeting MyD88.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Cytokines / immunology*
  • Enterotoxins / toxicity*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / deficiency
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / immunology*
  • NF-kappa B / immunology
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Staphylococcus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus / immunology*

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Enterotoxins
  • Myd88 protein, mouse
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88
  • NF-kappa B
  • enterotoxin A, Staphylococcal