Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase-1B Negatively Impacts Host Defense against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major opportunistic pathogen in immune-compromised individuals. Mechanisms governing immune responses to P. aeruginosa infection remain incompletely defined. Herein, we demonstrate that protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B) is a critical negative regulator in P. aeruginosa infection. PTP1B-deficient mice display greatly enhanced bacterial clearance and reduced disease scores, which are accompanied by increased neutrophil infiltration and cytokine production. Interestingly, PTP1B deficiency mainly up-regulates the production of interferon-stimulated response elements-regulated cytokines and chemokines, including chemokine ligand 5 (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted), CXCL10 (interferon γ-inducible protein 10), and interferon-β production. Further studies reveal that PTP1B deficiency leads to increased interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) expression and activation. These findings demonstrate a novel regulatory mechanism of the immune response to P. aeruginosa infection through PTP1B-IRF7 interaction. This novel PTP1B-IRF7-interferon-stimulated response elements pathway may have broader implications in Toll-like receptor-mediated innate immunity.