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Disulfiram blocks inflammatory TLR4 signaling by targeting MD-2

ABSTRACT: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) sensing of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the most potent pathogen-associated molecular pattern of gram-negative bacteria, activates NF-κB and Irf3, which induces inflammatory cytokines and interferons that trigger an intense inflammatory response, which is critical for host defense but can also cause serious inflammatory pathology, including sepsis. Although TLR4 inhibition is an attractive therapeutic approach for suppressing overexuberant inflammatory signaling, previously identified TLR4 antagonists have not shown any clinical benefit. Here, we identify disulfiram (DSF), an FDA-approved drug for alcoholism, as a specific inhibitor of TLR4-mediated inflammatory signaling. TLR4 cell surface expression, LPS sensing, dimerization and signaling depend on TLR4 binding to MD-2. DSF and other cysteine-reactive drugs, previously shown to block LPS-triggered inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis), inhibit TLR4 signaling by covalently modifying Cys133 of MD-2, a key conserved residue that mediates TLR4 sensing and signaling. DSF blocks LPS-triggered inflammatory cytokine, chemokine, and interferon production by macrophages in vitro. In the aggressive N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in which TLR4 plays an important role, DSF markedly suppresses neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neuron loss, and restores motor function. Our findings identify a role for DSF in curbing TLR4-mediated inflammation and suggest that DSF and other drugs that target MD-2 might be useful for treating PD and other diseases in which inflammation contributes importantly to pathogenesis.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE237028 | GEO | 2023/08/07

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Lipid A (a hexaacylated 1,4 bis-phosphate) is a potent immune stimulant for TLR4/MD-2. Upon lipid A ligation, the TLR4/MD-2 complex dimerizes and initiates signal transduction. Historically, studies also suggested the existence of TLR4/MD-2-independent LPS signaling. Here we define the role of TLR4 and MD-2 in LPS signaling by using genome wide expression profiling in TLR4- and MD-2-deficient macrophages after stimulations with peptidoglycan-free LPS and synthetic E.coli lipid A. Of the 1,396 genes found significantly induced or repressed by any one of the treatments in the wildtype macrophages, none was present in the TLR4- or MD-2-deficient macrophages, confirming that the TLR4/MD-2 complex is the only receptor for endotoxin, and are both absolutely required for responses to LPS. Using a molecular genetics approach, we investigated the mechanism of TLR4/MD-2 activation by combining the known crystal structure of TLR4/MD-2 with computer modeling. We used lipid IVa, a defined lipid A mimetic to model the activation of mouse TLR4/MD2. The two phosphates on lipid A were predicted to interact extensively with the two positively charged patches mouse TLR4 according to our dimeric murine TLR4/MD-2/lipid IVa model. These two patches are composed of K263, R337, and K360 (Positive Patch 1), and K367 and R434 (Positive Patch 2). When either Positive Patch was abolished by mutagenesis into Ala, the responses to LPS and lipid A were almost abrogated. Thus, ionic interactions between the two phosphates on lipid A and the two positively charged patches on murine TLR4 appear to be essential for LPS receptor activation. The gene expression profile of macrophages from C57BL/6 and MD-2-deficient mice following either 10 ng LPS /mL, 100 ng lipid A/mL or 10 nM Pam2 stimulation for 2 hours were compared to PBS-stimulated control cells . In vitro differentiated macrophages from two individual WT and MD-2-deficient mice were cultured and stimulated with agonists separately, comparing the gene expression to PBS-stimulated control cells from the same mouse. Comparisons of PBS-stimulated WT cells to PBS-stimulated MD-2-deficient cells were performed to directly compare basal gene expression in the two genotypes.

Project description:Lipid A (a hexaacylated 1,4 bis-phosphate) is a potent immune stimulant for TLR4/MD-2. Upon lipid A ligation, the TLR4/MD-2 complex dimerizes and initiates signal transduction. Historically, studies also suggested the existence of TLR4/MD-2-independent LPS signaling. Here we define the role of TLR4 and MD-2 in LPS signaling by using genome wide expression profiling in TLR4- and MD-2-deficient macrophages after stimulations with peptidoglycan-free LPS and synthetic E.coli lipid A. Of the 1,396 genes found significantly induced or repressed by any one of the treatments in the wildtype macrophages, none was present in the TLR4- or MD-2-deficient macrophages, confirming that the TLR4/MD-2 complex is the only receptor for endotoxin, and are both absolutely required for responses to LPS. Using a molecular genetics approach, we investigated the mechanism of TLR4/MD-2 activation by combining the known crystal structure of TLR4/MD-2 with computer modeling. We used lipid IVa, a defined lipid A mimetic to model the activation of mouse TLR4/MD2. The two phosphates on lipid A were predicted to interact extensively with the two positively charged patches mouse TLR4 according to our dimeric murine TLR4/MD-2/lipid IVa model. These two patches are composed of K263, R337, and K360 (Positive Patch 1), and K367 and R434 (Positive Patch 2). When either Positive Patch was abolished by mutagenesis into Ala, the responses to LPS and lipid A were almost abrogated. Thus, ionic interactions between the two phosphates on lipid A and the two positively charged patches on murine TLR4 appear to be essential for LPS receptor activation. Bone marrow-derived macrophages were pooled from four individual WT or TLR4-deficient mice and stimulated with either 10 ng LPS /mL, 100 ng lipid A/mL or 10 nM Pam2 for 2 hours and compared to PBS-stimulated control cells. We also compared PBS-stimulated WT cells directly to PBS-stimulated TLR4-deficient cells to compare the basal expression of genes in the two genotypes. This experiment was repeated once in its entirety.

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Disulfiram blocks inflammatory TLR4 signaling by targeting MD-2

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