Signaling crosstalk during sequential TLR4 and TLR9 activation amplifies the inflammatory response of mouse macrophages

Abstract

The TLR family of pattern recognition receptors is largely responsible for meditating the activation of macrophages by pathogens. Because macrophages may encounter multiple TLR ligands during an infection, signaling crosstalk between TLR pathways is likely to be important for the tailoring of inflammatory reactions to pathogens. Here, we show that rather than inducing tolerance, LPS pretreatment primed the inflammatory response (e.g., TNF production) of mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) to the TLR9 ligand, CpG DNA. The priming effects of LPS, which correlated with enhanced Erk1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK activation, appeared to be mediated via both c-Fms-dependent and -independent mechan..