The receptor TREML4 amplifies TLR7-mediated signaling during antiviral responses and autoimmunity

ZG Ramirez-Ortiz, A Prasad, JW Griffith… - Nature …, 2015 - nature.com
ZG Ramirez-Ortiz, A Prasad, JW Griffith, WF Pendergraft III, GS Cowley, DE Root, M Tai…
Nature immunology, 2015nature.com
The molecules and pathways that fine-tune innate inflammatory responses mediated by Toll-
like receptor 7 (TLR7) remain to be fully elucidated. Using an unbiased genome-scale
screen with short hairpin RNA (shRNA), we identified the receptor TREML4 as an essential
positive regulator of TLR7 signaling. Macrophages from Treml4−/− mice were
hyporesponsive to TLR7 agonists and failed to produce type I interferons due to impaired
phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT1 by the mitogen-activated protein kinase …
Abstract
The molecules and pathways that fine-tune innate inflammatory responses mediated by Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) remain to be fully elucidated. Using an unbiased genome-scale screen with short hairpin RNA (shRNA), we identified the receptor TREML4 as an essential positive regulator of TLR7 signaling. Macrophages from Treml4−/− mice were hyporesponsive to TLR7 agonists and failed to produce type I interferons due to impaired phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT1 by the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 and decreased recruitment of the adaptor MyD88 to TLR7. TREML4 deficiency reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines and autoantibodies in MRL/lpr mice, which are prone to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and inhibited the antiviral immune response to influenza virus. Our data identify TREML4 as a positive regulator of TLR7 signaling and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that control antiviral immunity and the development of autoimmunity.
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