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CK1α suppresses autoimmunity by restraining the cGAS-STING signaling

ABSTRACT: Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), the central hub protein of the cGAS-STING signaling, is essential for type I IFN production of innate immunity. However, prolonged or excessive activation of STING is highly related to autoimmune diseases, most of which exhibit the hallmark of elevated expression of type I interferons and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Thus, the activity of STING must be stringently controlled to maintain immune homeostasis. Here, we reported that CK1α, a protein serine/threonine kinase, was essential to prevent the over-activation of STING-mediated type I IFN signaling through autophagic degradation of STING. Mechanistically, CK1α interacted with STING upon the cGAS-STING pathway activation and promoted STING autophagic degradation by enhancing the phosphorylation of p62 at serine 349, which was critical for p62 mediated STING autophagic degradation. Consistently, SSTC3, a selective CK1α agonist, significantly attenuated the response of the cGAS-STING signaling by promoting STING autophagic degradation. Importantly, pharmaceutical activation of CK1α using SSTC3 markedly repressed the systemic autoinflammatory responses in the Trex1-/- mouse autoimmune disease model and effectively suppressed the production of IFNs and ISGs in the PBMCs of SLE patients. Taken together, our study reveals a novel regulatory role of CK1α in the autophagic degradation of STING to maintain immune homeostasis. Manipulating CK1α through SSTC3 might be a potential therapeutic strategy for alleviating STING-mediated aberrant type I IFNs in autoimmune diseases.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE226593 | GEO | 2024/01/31

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The cGAS-STING pathway forms a major component of the innate immune system. cGAS-STING signalling is induced by detection of either foreign (i.e. pathogenic) or mislocalised host double stranded (ds)DNA present within the cytosol. STING acts as the major signalling hub, where it controls activation of transcription factors IRF3 and NF-B for expression of type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Under resting conditions STING resides on the ER membrane. However, following activation STING traffics to the Golgi to initiate downstream signalling, and subsequently to endolysosomal regions for degradation and termination of signalling. However, while STING is known to be degraded by lysosomes, the mechanisms controlling its delivery remain poorly defined. Here we utilised a mass spectrometry approach to assess phosphorylation changes in primary macrophages following STING activation. This identified a large number of phosphorylation events in proteins involved in intracellular transport, including vesicular trafficking. We utilised high-temporal microscopy to track STING vesicular transport in live macrophages. We observed that while macrophages exhibit rapid degradation of STING (i.e., 4-6 h), basal STING protein levels return slowly (i.e., >24 h). Despite STING protein recovery, ultimately macrophages remain unresponsive to re-challenge with STING ligands. Using a combination of imaging and biochemical approaches we subsequently identify that the endosomal complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway detects ubiquitinated STING on endosomes, which facilitates the degradation of STING. Disrupting ESCRT recognition of STING via knockdown of the ESCRT-0 component HRS or inhibiting ESCRT function via overexpression of a dominant negative form of VPS4a enhances STING signalling and cytokine production. Therefore, we have characterised the mechanisms that controls effective termination of STING signalling. Dysregulation of STING localisation or its degradation has been implicated in several diseases including autoimmune, autoinflammatory and neuroinflammatory diseases, hence a clearer understanding of STING degradation is imperative for a better understanding of STING-dependent disease pathologies.

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CK1α suppresses autoimmunity by restraining the cGAS-STING signaling

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