Regulation of cellular caveolin-1 protein expression in murine macrophages by microbial products

Previously, we reported that expression of caveolin-1 in elicited peritoneal mouse macrophages was up-regulated by remarkably low (1.0-pg/ml) concentrations of Escherichia coli O111 lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here we report that increases in caveolin-1 expression are manifested by different types of LPS, LPS-mimetic taxol, and heat-killed E. coli and to a much lesser extent by zymosan, polysaccharide-peptidoglycan, and heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus. Rhodobacter sphaeroides lipid A (RsDPLA) could not induce caveolin-1 expression in macrophages. Interestingly, polymyxin B (5 microg/ml) and RsDPLA show only a limited capacity to inhibit LPS-induced caveolin-1 expression. These findings suggest that expression of caveolin-1 in response to LPS may only partially be dependent upon lipid A. Recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha marginally induces caveolin-1, suggesting that the ability of LPS to regulate caveolin-1 is not mediated primarily through an autocrine/paracrine mechanism involving this cytokine. Under conditions in which cellular levels of caveolin-1 are profoundly induced, no significant changes in TLR4 expression are observed. Of interest, caveolin-1 appears to localize to two cellular compartments, one associated with lipid rafts and a second associated with TLR4. Gamma interferon treatment inhibits the induction of caveolin-1 by LPS in macrophages. Inhibition of the p38 kinase-dependent pathway, but not the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway, effectively reduced the ability of LPS to mediate caveolin-1 up-regulation. Lactacystin, a potent inhibitor of the proteasome pathway, significantly modulates LPS-independent caveolin-1 expression, and lactacystin inhibits LPS-triggered caveolin-1 responses. These studies suggest that caveolin-1 up-regulation in response to LPS is likely to be proteasome dependent and triggered through the p38 kinase pathway.