| First Author | Heinz LX | Year | 2012 |
| Journal | Cell Death Differ | Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 722-31 |
| PubMed ID | 22158417 | Mgi Jnum | J:203182 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5525073 | Doi | 10.1038/cdd.2011.147 |
| Citation | Heinz LX, et al. (2012) The death domain-containing protein Unc5CL is a novel MyD88-independent activator of the pro-inflammatory IRAK signaling cascade. Cell Death Differ 19(4):722-31 |
| abstractText | The family of death domain (DD)-containing proteins are involved in many cellular processes, including apoptosis, inflammation and development. One of these molecules, the adapter protein MyD88, is a key factor in innate and adaptive immunity that integrates signals from the Toll-like receptor/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (TLR/IL-1R) superfamily by providing an activation platform for IL-1R-associated kinases (IRAKs). Here we show that the DD-containing protein Unc5CL (also known as ZUD) is involved in a novel MyD88-independent mode of IRAK signaling that culminates in the activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Unc5CL required IRAK1, IRAK4 and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 but not MyD88 for its ability to activate these pathways. Interestingly, the protein is constitutively autoproteolytically processed, and is anchored by its N-terminus specifically to the apical face of mucosal epithelial cells. Transcriptional profiling identified mainly chemokines, including IL-8, CXCL1 and CCL20 as Unc5CL target genes. Its prominent expression in mucosal tissues, as well as its ability to induce a pro-inflammatory program in cells, suggests that Unc5CL is a factor in epithelial inflammation and immunity as well as a candidate gene involved in mucosal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. |
