Exploitation of host epithelial signaling networks by respiratory bacterial pathogens

Although tremendous effort has been put towards identifying the surface molecules of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) for vaccine development over the past decades, it is only recently that we have begun to appreciate the intricate host epithelial signaling networks activated by NTHi, an important human pathogen causing respiratory infections. From what has been reported, it is evident that NTHi activates multiple signaling pathways in host epithelial cells that, in turn, inadvertently contribute to the pathogenesis. Among those signaling pathways, activation of NF-kappaB leads to up-regulation of IL-1beta, IL-8 and TNF-alpha, mucin MUC2 and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), whereas activation of p38 MAP kinase mediates not only up-regulation of inflammatory mediators and mucin MUC5AC but also down-regulation of TLR2. Interestingly, NTHi-induced activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway, however, leads to inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. Moreover, the TGF-beta-Smad signaling pathway cooperates with NF-kappaB to mediate up-regulation of mucin MUC2. Finally, glucocorticoids synergistically enhance NTHi-induced TLR2 expression via specific up-regulation of the MAP kinase phosphatase-1 that, in turn, leads to inactivation of p38 MAP kinase, the negative regulator for TLR2 expression. These studies may bring new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of NTHi-induced infections and open up novel therapeutic targets for these diseases.