Abstract
Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) causes inflammation and cell injury as a result of activating innate immune signaling. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has a key role in mediating kidney damages during IRI, but the downstream signaling pathway(s) stimulating apoptosis remains debated. In this study we show that TLR4 mediates MyD88-dependent activation of TNF receptor-associated factor 2, apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinases in ischemic-reperfused kidneys and posthypoxic renal tubule epithelial cells (RTECs). Hypoxia stimulated the expression of the endoplasmic-resident gp96, which co-immunoprecipitated TLR4, whereas silencing gp96 mRNA expression impaired hypoxia-induced apoptosis in TLR4-expressing RTECs. NAD(P)H oxidase 4 (NOX4) was shown to interact with TLR4 and to be required in lipopolysaccharide-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). IRI stimulated the expression of a 28-kDa NOX4 spliced isoform abundantly expressed in wild-type RTECs, which co-immunoprecipitated with TLR4, but not with gp96 in TLR4-deficient RTECs. Silencing NOX4 mRNA expression impaired hypoxia-induced activation of ASK1 and both JNK and p38, leading to the inhibition of ROS production and apoptosis in posthypoxic TLR4-expressing RTECs. These findings show that, concomitantly to the activation of p38, the gp96/TLR4 interaction is required for activation of ASK1/JNK signaling in posthypoxic mouse RTECs, and that the 28-kDa NOX4 has a key role in TLR4-mediated apoptosis during renal IRI.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Apoptosis / drug effects
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Apoptosis / physiology*
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Cell Hypoxia / physiology
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Epithelial Cells / drug effects
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Epithelial Cells / metabolism
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Female
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Isoenzymes / metabolism
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JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
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JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
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Kidney / cytology
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Kidney / metabolism*
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Kidney Tubules / cytology
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Kidney Tubules / metabolism
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MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 / metabolism
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Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
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Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Mice, Knockout
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Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / genetics
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Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / metabolism
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NADPH Oxidase 4
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NADPH Oxidases / genetics
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NADPH Oxidases / metabolism*
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Protein Binding / physiology
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Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
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RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
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Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
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Reperfusion Injury / genetics
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Reperfusion Injury / metabolism*
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Signal Transduction / drug effects
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Signal Transduction / physiology
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TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2 / genetics
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TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2 / metabolism
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Toll-Like Receptor 4 / genetics
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Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism*
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bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism
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p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
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p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
Substances
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Bax protein, mouse
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Isoenzymes
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Membrane Glycoproteins
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Myd88 protein, mouse
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Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88
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Protein Kinase Inhibitors
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RNA, Small Interfering
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Reactive Oxygen Species
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TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2
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Toll-Like Receptor 4
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bcl-2-Associated X Protein
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endoplasmin
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NADPH Oxidase 4
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NADPH Oxidases
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Nox4 protein, mouse
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JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
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p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
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MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5
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Map3k5 protein, mouse