Endotoxin Tolerance Inhibits Lyn and c-Src Phosphorylation and Association with Toll-Like Receptor 4 but Increases Expression and Activity of Protein Phosphatases

Abstract

Endotoxin tolerance protects the host by limiting excessive 'cytokine storm' during sepsis, but compromises the ability to counteract infections in septic shock survivors. It reprograms Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 responses by attenuating the expression of proinflammatory cytokines without suppressing anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial mediators, but the mechanisms of reprogramming remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that the induction of endotoxin tolerance in human monocytes, THP-1 and MonoMac-6 cells inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated phosphorylation of Lyn, c-Src and their recruitment to TLR4, but increased total protein phosphatase (PP) activity and the expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) 1B, PP2A, PTP nonreceptor type (PTPN) 22 and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MKP)-1. Chemical PP inhibitors, okadaic acid, dephostatin and cantharidic acid markedly decreased or completely abolished LPS tolerance, indicating the importance of phosphatases in endotoxin tolerization. Overexpression of PTPN22 decreased LPS-mediated nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation, p38 phosphorylation and CXCL8 gene expression, while PTPN22 ablation upregulated LPS-induced p65 NF-κB and p38 phosphorylation and the expression of TNF-a and pro-IL-1ß mRNA, indicating PTPN22 as an inhibitor of TLR4 signaling. Thus, LPS tolerance interferes with TLR4 signaling by inhibiting Lyn and c-Src phosphorylation and their recruitment to TLR4, while increasing the phosphatase activity and expression of PP2A, PTPN22, PTP1B and MKP1.