TIPE2 negatively regulates inflammation by switching arginine metabolism from nitric oxide synthase to arginase

PLoS One. 2014 May 7;9(5):e96508. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096508. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

TIPE2, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced protein 8-like 2 (TNFAIP8L2), plays an essential role in maintaining immune homeostasis. It is highly expressed in macrophages and negatively regulates inflammation through inhibiting Toll-like receptor signaling. In this paper, we utilized RAW264.7 cells stably transfected with a TIPE2 expression plasmid, as well as TIPE2-deficient macrophages to study the roles of TIPE2 in LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) and urea production. The results showed that TIPE2-deficiency significantly upregulated the levels of iNOS expression and NO production in LPS-stimulated macrophages, but decreased mRNA levels of arginase I and urea production. However, TIPE2 overexpression in macrophages was capable of downregulating protein levels of LPS-induced iNOS and NO, but generated greater levels of arginase I and urea production. Furthermore, TIPE2-/- mice had higher iNOS protein levels in lung and liver and higher plasma NO concentrations, but lower levels of liver arginase I compared to LPS-treated WT controls. Interestingly, significant increases in IκB degradation and phosphorylation of JNK, p38, and IκB were observed in TIPE2-deficient macrophages following LPS challenge. These results strongly suggest that TIPE2 plays an important role in shifting L-arginase metabolism from production of NO to urea, during host inflammatory response.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arginase / metabolism*
  • Arginine / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Inflammation / metabolism*
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Urea / metabolism

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • TIPE2 protein, mouse
  • Urea
  • Arginine
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Arginase

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81171578, No. 81100205), the Key grant from the Health Department of Shandong Province (2009HD009), and the Award Funds for Excellent Young and Middle-aged Scientists of Shandong Province (BS2009YY007). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.