BIG1 controls macrophage pro-inflammatory responses through ARF3-mediated PI(4,5)P2 synthesis

Sepsis is caused by a dysregulated host inflammatory response to serious infections resulting in life-threatening organ dysfunction. The high morbidity and mortality make sepsis still a major clinical problem. Here, we investigated the roles of Brefeldin A-inhibited guanine nucleotide-exchange factor 1 (BIG1) in the pathogenesis process of sepsis and the underlying mechanisms. We found myeloid cell-specific BIG1 knockout (BIG1 cKO) significantly reduced the mortality and organ damage in LPS-induced and CLP-induced polymicrobial sepsis mouse model. The serum concentration and mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-12 were obviously decreased in BIG1 cKO mice. In bone marrow-derived macrophages or THP-1 cells, BIG1 deficiency caused an inhibited ARF3 activation, which reduced PI(4,5)P2 synthesis and the recruitment of TIRAP to the plasma membrane through inhibiting the activation of PIP5K induced by LPS, and eventually resulted in the inhibitory activity of TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway. These results reveal a crucial new role of BIG1 in regulating macrophage inflammation responses, and provide evidence for BIG1 as a potential promising therapeutic target in sepsis.