TY - JOUR
T1 - Human mincle binds to cholesterol crystals and triggers innate immune responses
AU - Kiyotake, Ryoko
AU - Oh-Hora, Masatsugu
AU - Ishikawa, Eri
AU - Miyamoto, Tomofumi
AU - Ishibashi, Tatsuro
AU - Yamasaki, Sho
PY - 2015/10/16
Y1 - 2015/10/16
N2 - C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are an emerging family of pattern recognition receptors that recognizes pathogens or damaged tissue to trigger innate immune responses. However, endogenous ligands for CLRs are not fully understood. In this study, we sought to identify an endogenous ligand(s) for human macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (hMincle). A particular fraction of lipid extracts from liver selectively activated reporter cells expressing hMincle. MS analysis determined the chemical structure of the active component as cholesterol. Purified cholesterol in plate-coated and crystalized forms activates reporter cells expressing hMincle but not murine Mincle (mMincle). Cholesterol crystals are known to activate immune cells and induce inflammatory responses through lysosomal damage. However, direct innate immune receptors for cholesterol crystals have not been identified. Murine macrophages transfected with hMincle responded to cholesterol crystals by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Human dendritic cells expressed a set of inflammatory genes in response to cholesterol crystals, and this was inhibited by anti-human Mincle. Importantly, other related CLRs did not bind cholesterol crystals, whereas other steroids were not recognized by hMincle. These results suggest that cholesterol crystals are an endogenous ligand for hMincle and that they activate innate immune responses.
AB - C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are an emerging family of pattern recognition receptors that recognizes pathogens or damaged tissue to trigger innate immune responses. However, endogenous ligands for CLRs are not fully understood. In this study, we sought to identify an endogenous ligand(s) for human macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (hMincle). A particular fraction of lipid extracts from liver selectively activated reporter cells expressing hMincle. MS analysis determined the chemical structure of the active component as cholesterol. Purified cholesterol in plate-coated and crystalized forms activates reporter cells expressing hMincle but not murine Mincle (mMincle). Cholesterol crystals are known to activate immune cells and induce inflammatory responses through lysosomal damage. However, direct innate immune receptors for cholesterol crystals have not been identified. Murine macrophages transfected with hMincle responded to cholesterol crystals by producing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Human dendritic cells expressed a set of inflammatory genes in response to cholesterol crystals, and this was inhibited by anti-human Mincle. Importantly, other related CLRs did not bind cholesterol crystals, whereas other steroids were not recognized by hMincle. These results suggest that cholesterol crystals are an endogenous ligand for hMincle and that they activate innate immune responses.
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U2 - 10.1074/jbc.M115.645234
DO - 10.1074/jbc.M115.645234
M3 - Article
C2 - 26296894
AN - SCOPUS:84944463360
VL - 290
SP - 25322
EP - 25332
JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry
JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry
SN - 0021-9258
IS - 42
ER -