Discovery of the DIGIRR gene from teleost fish: a novel Toll-IL-1 receptor family member serving as a negative regulator of IL-1 signaling

J Immunol. 2011 Sep 1;187(5):2514-30. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1003457. Epub 2011 Jul 29.

Abstract

Toll-IL-1R (TIR) family members play crucial roles in a variety of defense, inflammatory, injury, and stress responses. Although they have been widely investigated in mammals, little is known about TIRs in ancient vertebrates. In this study, we report a novel double Ig IL-1R related molecule (DIGIRR) from three model fish (Tetraodon nigroviridis, Gasterosteus aculeatus, and Takifugu rubripes), adding a previously unknown homolog to the TIR family. This DIGIRR molecule contains two Ig-like domains in the extracellular region, one Arg-Tyr-mutated TIR domain in the intracellular region, and a unique subcellular distribution within the Golgi apparatus. These characteristics distinguish DIGIRR from other known family members. In vitro injection of DIGIRR into zebrafish embryos dramatically inhibited LPS-induced and IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation. Moreover, in vivo knockdown of DIGIRR by small interfering RNA significantly promoted the expression of IL-1β-stimulated proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1β) in DIGIRR-silenced liver and kidney tissues and in leukocytes. These results strongly suggest that DIGIRR is an important negative regulator of LPS-mediated and IL-1β-mediated signaling pathways and inflammatory responses. The Arg-Tyr-mutated site disrupted the signal transduction ability of DIGIRR TIR. Evolutionally, we propose a hypothesis that DIGIRR and single Ig IL-1R related molecule (SIGIRR) might originate from a common ancient IL-1R-like molecule that lost one (in DIGIRR) or two (in SIGIRR) extracellular Ig-like domains and intracellular Ser and Arg-Tyr amino acids. DIGIRR might be an evolutionary "transitional molecule" between IL-1R and SIGIRR, representing a shift from a potent receptor to a negative regulator. These results help define the evolutionary history of TIR family members and their associated signaling pathways and mechanisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Receptors, Interleukin-1 / genetics*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*
  • Smegmamorpha / genetics*
  • Takifugu / genetics*
  • Tetraodontiformes / genetics*
  • Toll-Like Receptors / genetics*
  • Transfection
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • Receptors, Interleukin-1
  • Toll-Like Receptors

Associated data

  • GENBANK/EF095151
  • GENBANK/EU305619
  • GENBANK/EU360722