LAB/NTAL facilitates fungal/PAMP-induced IL-12 and IFN-γ production by repressing β-catenin activation in dendritic cells

PLoS Pathog. 2013 May;9(5):e1003357. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003357. Epub 2013 May 9.

Abstract

Fungal pathogens elicit cytokine responses downstream of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-coupled or hemiITAM-containing receptors and TLRs. The Linker for Activation of B cells/Non-T cell Activating Linker (LAB/NTAL) encoded by Lat2, is a known regulator of ITAM-coupled receptors and TLR-associated cytokine responses. Here we demonstrate that LAB is involved in anti-fungal immunity. We show that Lat2-/- mice are more susceptible to C. albicans infection than wild type (WT) mice. Dendritic cells (DCs) express LAB and we show that it is basally phosphorylated by the growth factor M-CSF or following engagement of Dectin-2, but not Dectin-1. Our data revealed a unique mechanism whereby LAB controls basal and fungal/pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP)-induced nuclear β-catenin levels. This in turn is important for controlling fungal/PAMP-induced cytokine production in DCs. C. albicans- and LPS-induced IL-12 and IL-23 production was blunted in Lat2-/- DCs. Accordingly, Lat2-/- DCs directed reduced Th1 polarization in vitro and Lat2-/- mice displayed reduced Natural Killer (NK) and T cell-mediated IFN-γ production in vivo/ex vivo. Thus our data define a novel link between LAB and β-catenin nuclear accumulation in DCs that facilitates IFN-γ responses during anti-fungal immunity. In addition, these findings are likely to be relevant to other infectious diseases that require IL-12 family cytokines and an IFN-γ response for pathogen clearance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Transport System y+ / immunology*
  • Amino Acid Transport System y+ / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Candidiasis / immunology*
  • Candidiasis / metabolism
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Fusion Regulatory Protein 1, Light Chains / immunology*
  • Fusion Regulatory Protein 1, Light Chains / metabolism
  • Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interleukin-12 / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-12 / immunology
  • Lectins, C-Type / immunology*
  • Lectins, C-Type / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / immunology
  • beta Catenin / immunology*
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Amino Acid Transport System y+
  • Fusion Regulatory Protein 1, Light Chains
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • SLC7A8 protein, mouse
  • beta Catenin
  • Interleukin-12
  • Interferon-gamma