Staphylococcal LTA antagonizes the B cell-mitogenic potential of LPS

Sci Rep. 2018 Jan 24;8(1):1496. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-19653-y.

Abstract

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of Gram-positive bacteria is regarded as the counterpart biomolecule of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria because of their structural and immunological similarities. Although LPS induces a strong polyclonal expansion of B cells, little is known about the effect of LTA on B cell proliferation. In the present study, we prepared LTAs from Gram-positive bacteria and examined their effect on splenic B cell proliferation. Unlike LPS, LTA did not induce B cell proliferation. Instead, Staphylococcus aureus LTA (Sa.LTA) appeared to inhibit LPS-induced B cell proliferation in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models. Such effect was observed neither in splenocytes from Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-deficient mice nor in the purified splenic B cells. Furthermore, decreased ERK phosphorylation appeared to be responsible for this phenomenon. Collectively, our results support that Sa.LTA inhibited LPS-induced B cell proliferation through the decrease of ERK phosphorylation via TLR2 signaling pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Staphylococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Staphylococcal Infections / immunology*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus aureus / immunology*
  • Teichoic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2 / physiology*

Substances

  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Teichoic Acids
  • Tlr2 protein, mouse
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2
  • lipoteichoic acid