posted on 2021-05-18, 14:00authored byFelix Breyer, Anetta Härtlova, Teresa Thurston, Helen R Flynn, Probir Chakravarty, Julia Janzen, Julien Peltier, Tiaan Heunis, Ambrosius P Snijders, Matthias Trost, Steven C Ley
Tumour progression locus 2 (TPL-2) kinase mediates Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation of ERK1/2 and p38α MAP kinases in myeloid cells to modulate expression of key cytokines in innate immunity. This study identified a novel MAP kinase-independent regulatory function for TPL-2 in phagosome maturation, an essential process for killing of phagocytosed microbes. TPL-2 catalytic activity was demonstrated to induce phagosome acidification and proteolysis in primary mouse and human macrophages following uptake of latex beads. Quantitative proteomics revealed that blocking TPL-2 catalytic activity significantly altered the protein composition of phagosomes, particularly reducing the abundance of V-ATPase proton pump subunits. Furthermore, TPL-2 stimulated the phosphorylation of DMXL1, a regulator of V-ATPases, to induce V-ATPase assembly and phagosome acidification. Consistent with these results, TPL-2 catalytic activity was required for phagosome acidification and the efficient killing of Staphylococcus aureus and Citrobacter rodentium following phagocytic uptake by macrophages. TPL-2 therefore controls innate immune responses of macrophages to bacteria via V-ATPase induction of phagosome maturation.
Funding
Crick (Grant ID: 10103, Grant title: Ley FC001103)
Crick (Grant ID: 10002, Grant title: STP Bioinformatics & Biostatistics)
Crick (Grant ID: 10011, Grant title: STP Proteomics)