Role of Mouse Peptidoglycan Recognition Protein PGLYRP2 in the Innate Immune Response to Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium InfectionIn Vivo

Abstract

ABSTRACTPeptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are a family of innate pattern recognition molecules that bind bacterial peptidoglycan. While the role of PGRPs inDrosophilainnate immunity has been extensively studied, how the four mammalian PGRP proteins (PGLYRP1 to PGLYRP4) contribute to host defense against bacterial pathogensin vivoremains poorly understood. PGLYRP1, PGLYRP3, and PGLYRP4 are directly bactericidalin vitro, whereas PGLYRP2 is anN-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase that cleaves peptidoglycan between the sugar backbone and the peptide stem. Because PGLYRP2 cleaves muramyl peptides detected by host peptidoglycan sensors Nod1 and Nod2, we speculated that PGLYRP2 may act as a modifier of Nod1/Nod2-dependent innate immune responses. We investigated the role of PGLYRP2 inSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium-induced colitis, which is regulated by Nod1/Nod2 through the induction of an early Th17 response. PGLYRP2 did not contribute to expression of Th17-associated cytokines, interleukin-22 (IL-22)-dependent antimicrobial proteins, or inflammatory cytokines. However, we found thatPglyrp2-deficient mice displayed significantly enhanced inflammation in the cecum at 72 h postinfection, reflected by increased polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration and goblet cell depletion.Pglyrp2expression was also induced in the cecum ofSalmonella-infected mice, and expression of green fluorescent protein under control of thePglyrp2promoter was increased in discrete populations of intraepithelial lymphocytes. Lastly,Nod2−/−Pglyrp2−/−mice displayed increased susceptibility to infection at 24 h postinfection compared toPglyrp2−/−mice, which correlated with increased PMN infiltration and submucosal edema. Thus, PGLYRP2 plays a protective rolein vivoin the control ofS. Typhimurium infection through a Nod1/Nod2-independent mechanism.