Study of signaling pathway underlying OmpU-mediated dendritic cell activation

Abstract

Vibrio cholerae, ​ an enteric bacterium, is the causative agent of the disease cholera. Pathogenic strains of ​ V. cholerae elicit its pathogenicity from ToxR regulon. A major outer membrane protein OmpU, which is encoded by ToxR regulon, plays a crucial role in host’s immuno-modulation on infection. OmpU acts as a pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) that is recognized by the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) present on the host’s innate immune cells’ such as on the surface of macrophages and monocytes. Further, OmpU can activate dendritic cell as well in terms of production of pro-inflammatory Toll like receptors (TLRs), a major class of PRRs, on PAMP recognition induces downstream signaling cascades that lead to the production of pro-inflammatory molecules. In macrophages and monocytes TLR1/2 hetero-dimer is responsible for recognition of OmpU. In this study we investigated the TLRs involved in OmpU recognition in dendritic cells and underlying signaling molecules involved in immune responses.