| First Author | Kim L | Year | 2005 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 174 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 4178-84 |
| PubMed ID | 15778378 | Mgi Jnum | J:97936 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3576797 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.174.7.4178 |
| Citation | Kim L, et al. (2005) p38 MAPK autophosphorylation drives macrophage IL-12 production during intracellular infection. J Immunol 174(7):4178-84 |
| abstractText | The intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii triggers rapid MAPK activation in mouse macrophages (Mphi). We used synthetic inhibitors and dominant-negative Mphi mutants to demonstrate that T. gondii triggers IL-12 production in dependence upon p38 MAPK. Chemical inhibition of stress-activated protein kinase/JNK showed that this MAPK was also required for parasite-triggered IL-12 production. Examination of upstream MAPK kinases (MKK) 3, 4, and 6 that function as p38 MAPK activating kinases revealed that parasite infection activates only MKK3. Nevertheless, in MKK3(-/-) Mphi, p38 MAPK activation was near normal and IL-12 production was unaffected. Recently, MKK-independent p38alpha MAPK activation via autophosphorylation was described. Autophosphorylation depends upon p38alpha MAPK association with adaptor protein, TGF-beta-activated protein kinase 1-binding protein-1. We observed TGF-beta-activated protein kinase 1-binding protein-1-p38alpha MAPK association that closely paralleled p38 MAPK phosphorylation during Toxoplasma infection of Mphi. Furthermore, a synthetic p38 catalytic-site inhibitor blocked tachyzoite-induced p38alpha MAPK phosphorylation. These data are the first to demonstrate p38 MAPK autophosphorylation triggered by intracellular infection. |
