Differential use of TLR2 and TLR9 in the regulation of immune responses during the infection with Trypanosoma cruzi

PLoS One. 2013 May 1;8(5):e63100. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063100. Print 2013.

Abstract

Pathogens express ligands for several TLRs that may play a role in the induction or control of the inflammatory response during infection. Concerning Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, we have previously characterized glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored mucin-like glycoproteins (tGPI-mucin) and unmethylated CpG DNA sequences as TLR2 and TLR9 agonists, respectively. Here we sought to determine how these TLRs may modulate the inflammatory response in the following cell populations: F4/80(+)CD11b(+) (macrophages), F4/80(low)CD11b(+) (monocytes) and MHCII(+)CD11c(high) (dendritic cells). For this purpose, TLR2(-/-) and TLR9(-/-) mice were infected with Y strain of T. cruzi and different immunological parameters were evaluated. According to our previous data, a crucial role of TLR9 was evidenced in the establishment of Th1 response, whereas TLR2 appeared to act as immunoregulator in the early stage of infection. More precisely, we demonstrated here that TLR2 was mainly used by F4/80(+)CD11b(+) cells for the production of TNF-α. In the absence of TLR2, an increased production of IL-12/IL-23p40 and IFN-γ was noted suggesting that TLR2 negatively controls the Th1 response. In contrast, TLR9 was committed to IL-12/IL-23p40 production by MHCII(+)CD11c(high) cells that constitute the main source of IL-12/IL-23p40 during infection. Importantly, a down-regulation of TLR9 response was observed in F4/80(+)CD11b(+) and F4/80(low)CD11b(+) populations that correlated with the decreased TLR9 expression level in these cells. Interestingly, these cells recovered their capacity to respond to TLR9 agonist when MHCII(+)CD11c(high) cells were impeded from producing IL-12/IL-23p40, thereby indicating possible cross-talk between these populations. The differential use of TLR2 and TLR9 by the immune cells during the acute phase of the infection explains why TLR9- but not TLR2-deficient mice are susceptible to T. cruzi infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute-Phase Reaction / metabolism
  • Acute-Phase Reaction / parasitology
  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chagas Disease / immunology*
  • Chagas Disease / metabolism
  • Chagas Disease / parasitology
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / parasitology
  • Gene Expression
  • Host-Parasite Interactions
  • Inflammation Mediators / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / immunology
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / transplantation
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / pharmacology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / pathology
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2 / physiology*
  • Toll-Like Receptor 9 / agonists
  • Toll-Like Receptor 9 / physiology*
  • Trypanosoma cruzi / immunology*

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Tlr2 protein, mouse
  • Tlr9 protein, mouse
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2
  • Toll-Like Receptor 9

Grants and funding

This study was funded by Rede Mineira de Biomoléculas – Fundação de Amparo as Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), the Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Vacinas (INCTV) - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and by the Atlantic Philanthropies Program of Clinical Discovery from the Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.