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Published on: January 12, 2020
The NF-κB regulator Bcl-3 modulates inflammation during contact hypersensitivity reactions in radioresistant cells
Ilaria Tassi1, Nimisha Rikhi1, Estefania Claudio1
1Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Insights
Bcl-3 deficiency exacerbates contact hypersensitivity by increasing inflammatory chemokines and immune cell recruitment. Bcl-3 limits inflammation in radioresistant cells, including keratinocytes, during later stages of the response.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Bcl-3, an atypical IκB family member, acts as a nuclear cofactor for NF-κB transcription factors.
- Its role in inflammation is context-dependent, with potential roles in tumorigenesis and host defense.
- Cell-specific functions of Bcl-3, particularly in skin immunity, remain largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Bcl-3 in the contact hypersensitivity (CHS) mouse model.
- To elucidate the cell-specific functions of Bcl-3 in mediating inflammatory responses in the skin.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a contact hypersensitivity (CHS) mouse model induced by oxazolone.
- Generated and analyzed Bcl-3-deficient mice and performed bone marrow (BM) chimera experiments.
- Conducted specific ablation of Bcl-3 in keratinocytes to assess its function in radioresistant cells.
Main Results:
- Bcl-3-deficient mice showed exacerbated and prolonged CHS responses.
- Increased inflammation correlated with elevated CXCL2, CXCL9, and CXCL10 chemokine production and neutrophil/CD8(+) T cell recruitment.
- Bcl-3's anti-inflammatory effect in CHS was dependent on its activity in radioresistant cells, including keratinocytes, which limited CD8(+) T cell infiltration.
Conclusions:
- Bcl-3 acts as a critical regulator in the later stages of the contact hypersensitivity response.
- Bcl-3 limits inflammation by modulating chemokine production and immune cell recruitment in radioresistant cells, notably keratinocytes.
- These findings highlight Bcl-3's importance in controlling skin inflammatory conditions.
Abstract:
Bcl-3 is an atypical member of the IκB family. Bcl-3 functions as a cofactor of p50/NF-κB1 or p52/NF-κB2 homodimers in nuclei, where it modulates NF-κB-regulated transcription in a context-dependent way. Bcl-3 has tumorigenic potential, is critical in host defense of pathogens, and has been reported to ameliorate or exacerbate inflammation, depending on disease model. However, cell-specific functions of Bcl-3 remain largely unknown. Here, we explored the role of Bcl-3 in a contact hypersensitivity (CHS) mouse model, which depends on the interplay between keratinocytes and immune cells. Bcl-3-deficient mice exhibited an exacerbated and prolonged CHS response to oxazolone. Increased inflammation correlated with higher production of chemokines CXCL2, CXCL9, and CXCL10, and consequently increased recruitment of neutrophils and CD8(+) T cells. BM chimera experiments indicated that the ability of Bcl-3 to reduce the CHS response depended on Bcl-3 activity in radioresistant cells. Specific ablation of Bcl-3 in keratinocytes resulted in increased production of CXCL9 and CXCL10 and sustained recruitment of specifically CD8(+) T cells. These findings identify Bcl-3 as a critical player during the later stage of the CHS reaction to limit inflammation via actions in radioresistant cells, including keratinocytes.
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