Spatial Organization of Dectin-1 and TLR2 during Synergistic Crosstalk Revealed by Super-resolution Imaging

J Phys Chem B. 2022 Aug 11;126(31):5781-5792. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03557. Epub 2022 Aug 1.

Abstract

Innate immune cells recognize and elicit responses against pathogens by integrating signals from different types of cell-surface receptors. How the receptors interact in the membrane to enable their signaling crosstalk is poorly understood. Here, we reveal the nanoscale organization of TLR2 and Dectin-1, a receptor pair known to cooperate in regulating antifungal immunity, through their synergistic signaling crosstalk at macrophage cell membranes. Using super-resolution single-molecule localization microscopy, we show that discrete noncolocalized nanoclusters of Dectin-1 and TLR2 are partially overlapped during their synergistic crosstalk. Compared to when one type of receptor is activated alone, the simultaneous activation of Dectin-1 and TLR2 leads to a higher percentage of both receptors being activated by their specific ligands and consequently an increased level of tyrosine phosphorylation. Our results depict, in nanoscale detail, how Dectin-1 and TLR2 achieve synergistic signaling through the spatial organization of their receptor nanoclusters.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Lectins, C-Type* / metabolism
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2* / metabolism

Substances

  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2
  • dectin 1