Toll-Like Receptor 1/2 and 5 Ligands Enhance the Expression of Cyclin D1 and D3 and Induce Proliferation in Mantle Cell Lymphoma

PLoS One. 2016 Apr 28;11(4):e0153823. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153823. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with a still undefined etiology. Several lines of evidence are consistent with the possible involvement of peculiar microenvironmental stimuli sustaining tumor cell growth and survival, as the activation of Toll-like receptors (TLR) 4 and 9. However, little is known about the contribution of other TLRs of pathogenic relevance in the development of MCL. This study reports evidence that MCL cell lines and primary MCL cells express different levels of TLR2 and TLR5, and that their triggering is able to further activate the Akt, MAPK, and NF-κB signaling cascades, known to be altered in MCL cells. This leads to the enhancement of cyclin D1 and D3 over-expression, occurring at post-translational level through a mechanism that likely involves the Akt/GSK-3α/β pathway. Interestingly, in primary B cells, TLR1/2 or TLR5 ligands increase protein level of cyclin D1, which is not usually expressed in normal B cells, and cyclin D3 when associated with CD40 ligand (CD40L), IL-4, and anti-human-IgM co-stimulus. Finally, the activation of TLR1/2 and TLR5 results in an increased proliferation of MCL cell lines and, in the presence of co-stimulation with CD40L, IL-4, and anti-human-IgM also of primary MCL cells and normal B lymphocytes. These effects befall together with an enhanced IL-6 production in primary cultures. Overall, our findings suggest that ligands for TLR1/2 or TLR5 may provide critical stimuli able to sustain the growth and the malignant phenotype of MCL cells. Further studies aimed at identifying the natural source of these TLR ligands and their possible pathogenic association with MCL are warranted in order to better understand MCL development, but also to define new therapeutic targets for counteracting the tumor promoting effects of lymphoma microenvironment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • CD40 Ligand / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / physiology*
  • Cyclin D1 / metabolism*
  • Cyclin D3 / metabolism*
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism
  • Ligands
  • Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / metabolism*
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / metabolism
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Toll-Like Receptor 1 / metabolism*
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism
  • Toll-Like Receptor 5 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cyclin D3
  • Ligands
  • NF-kappa B
  • TLR4 protein, human
  • TLR5 protein, human
  • Toll-Like Receptor 1
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Toll-Like Receptor 5
  • Cyclin D1
  • CD40 Ligand
  • Interleukin-4
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
  • glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a grant from Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro to RD (contract 10301; http://www.airc.it/). KM and EP are fellows of the Fondazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (http://www.fondazionefirc.it/). EM was supported by a Fondazione Umberto Veronesi Fellowship (http://www.fondazioneveronesi.it/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.