β-arrestin 2 quenches TLR signaling to facilitate the immune evasion of EPEC

Gut Microbes. 2020 Sep 2;11(5):1423-1437. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1759490. Epub 2020 May 13.

Abstract

The protein translocated intimin receptor (Tir) from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli shares sequence similarity with the host cellular immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motifs (ITIMs). The ITIMs of Tir are required for Tir-mediated immune inhibition and evasion of host immune responses. However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which Tir regulates immune inhibition remains unclear. Here we demonstrated that β-arrestin 2, which is involved in the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signal pathway, interacted with Tir in an ITIM-dependent manner. For the molecular mechanism, we found that β-arrestin 2 enhanced the recruitment of SHP-1 to Tir. The recruited SHP-1 inhibited K63-linked ubiquitination of TRAF6 by dephosphorylating TRAF6 at Tyr288, and inhibited K63-linked ubiquitination and phosphorylation of TAK1 by dephosphorylating TAK1 at Tyr206, which cut off the downstream signal transduction and subsequent cytokine production. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of Tir on immune responses was diminished in β-arrestin 2-deficient mice and macrophages. These findings suggest that β-arrestin 2 is a key regulator in Tir-mediated immune evasion, which could serve as a new therapeutic target for bacterial infectious diseases.

Keywords: EPEC; TAK1; TLR signaling; TRAF6; immune evasion; β-arrestin 2.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / immunology
  • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / pathogenicity*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / chemistry
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Immune Evasion*
  • MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / metabolism
  • Macrophages / microbiology*
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / microbiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6 / metabolism
  • RAW 264.7 Cells
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / chemistry
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6 / genetics
  • TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6 / metabolism
  • Toll-Like Receptors / metabolism*
  • beta-Arrestin 2 / genetics
  • beta-Arrestin 2 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Arrb2 protein, mouse
  • Cytokines
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6
  • Tir protein, E coli
  • Toll-Like Receptors
  • beta-Arrestin 2
  • MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases
  • MAP kinase kinase kinase 7
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6
  • Ptpn6 protein, mouse

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31972900]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31670901]; Innovative Research Team of High-level Local Universities in Shanghai; National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) [2018YFC1705505]; National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) [2016YFC1305103]; Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning [TP2016007]; Shanghai Municipal Population and Family Planning Commission [2017YQ012].