Interleukin (IL)-27 is a pleiotropic cytokine that initially was described as being pro-inflammatory and an inducer of T helper (Th)1 cells. In contrast, it has also been described as an anti-inflamma Show more
Interleukin (IL)-27 is a pleiotropic cytokine that initially was described as being pro-inflammatory and an inducer of T helper (Th)1 cells. In contrast, it has also been described as an anti-inflammatory cytokine in that it suppresses pro-inflammatory Th17 cells and induces anti-inflammatory IL-10 producing T regulatory (Tr)1 cells. While the majority of studies have been focused on the effects of IL-27 on T cells, human antigen-presenting cells express high levels of the IL-27 receptor ex vivo, in addition to being the major producer of IL-27. We report here that human monocytes are repressed by endogenous IL-27, in that the addition of an anti-IL-27 neutralizing antibody increases the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines ex vivo. We observed that neutralizing monocyte-derived IL-27 leads to increased IL-17A production by CD4+ T cells and a down-regulation of the IL-17 modulating ectonucleotidase CD39 on monocytes. The locus that contains the IL27 gene has been linked to susceptibility for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Interestingly, ex vivo monocytes from subjects with T1D produce more IL-27 suggesting this upregulation of IL-27 acts as a negative feedback loop to attempt to counterbalance the pro-inflammatory immune response in the disease state. In summary, we provide evidence that IL-27 is an endogenous regulator of human monocytes and has consequences on CD4+ T cell phenotype, particularly Th17 cells. Show less
Microglia are emerging as a key cell type in neurodegenerative diseases, yet human microglia are challenging to study in vitro. We developed an in vitro cell model system composed of human monocyte-de Show more
Microglia are emerging as a key cell type in neurodegenerative diseases, yet human microglia are challenging to study in vitro. We developed an in vitro cell model system composed of human monocyte-derived microglia-like (MDMi) cells that recapitulated key aspects of microglia phenotype and function. We then used this model system to perform an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) study examining 94 genes from loci associated with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. We found six loci ( Show less
Maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy can progress to congestive heart failure, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. A better understanding of the intracellular signal transducti Show more
Maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy can progress to congestive heart failure, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. A better understanding of the intracellular signal transduction network that controls myocyte cell growth may suggest new therapeutic directions. mAKAP is a scaffold protein that has recently been shown to coordinate signal transduction enzymes important for cytokine-induced cardiac hypertrophy. We now extend this observation and show mAKAP is important for adrenergic-mediated hypertrophy. One function of the mAKAP complex is to facilitate cAMP-dependent protein kinase A-catalyzed phosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor Ca2+-release channel. Experiments utilizing inhibition of the ryanodine receptor, RNA interference of mAKAP expression and replacement of endogenous mAKAP with a mutant form that does not bind to protein kinase A demonstrate that the mAKAP complex contributes to pro-hypertrophic signaling. Further, we show that calcineurin Abeta associates with mAKAP and that the formation of the mAKAP complex is required for the full activation of the pro-hypertrophic transcription factor NFATc. These data reveal a novel function of the mAKAP complex involving the integration of cAMP and Ca2+ signals that promote myocyte hypertrophy. Show less