Plexin C1 influences immune response to intracellular LPS and survival in murine sepsis

Intracellular sensing of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is essential for the immune response against gram-negative bacteria and results in activation of caspase-11 and pyroptotic cell death with fatal consequences in sepsis. We found the neuronal guidance receptor plexin C1 (PLXNC1) influences the intracellular response to LPS.

We employed a murine model of sepsis via cecal ligation and binding (CLP), using PLXNC1-/- mice and littermate controls, and additionally transfected murine bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from both genotypes with LPS to achieve activation of the noncanonical inflammasome ex vivo. Additionally, we transfected the PLXNC1 ligand SL4c-d in vivo and ex vivo to examine its effect on intracellular LPS response.

We found the neuronal guidance receptor PLXNC1 dampens the intracellular response to LPS by interacting with adenylate cyclase 4 (ADCY4) and protein kinase A activity, which in turn diminishes caspase-11 expression. The absence of PLXNC1 results in excessive inflammation marked by increased cytokine release, increased secondary organ injury and reduced sepsis survival in a murine sepsis model induced by CLP. Notably, administration of SL4c-d-peptide ligand of PLXNC1-reduces the inflammatory response during CLP-induced sepsis and improves survival.

These results elucidate a previously unknown mechanism for PLXNC1 suppressing excessive noncanonical inflammasome activity and offer a new potential target for treatment of sepsis with its detrimental effects.