TY - JOUR
T1 - Loss of c-REL but not NF-{kappa}B2 prevents autoimmune disease driven by FasL mutation
AU - O'Reilly, Lorraine A
AU - Hughes, Peter D
AU - Lin, Ann
AU - Waring, Paul M
AU - Siebenlist, Ulrich
AU - Jain, Rajan
AU - Gray, Daniel Herbert Donald
AU - Gerondakis, Steven Demetrious
AU - Strasser, Andreas
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - FASL/FAS signaling imposes a critical barrier against autoimmune disease and lymphadenopathy. Mutant mice unable to produce membrane-bound FASL (FasL ?m/?m), a prerequisite for FAS-induced apoptosis, develop lymphadenopathy and systemic autoimmune disease with immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis. Prior to disease onset, FasL ?m/?m mice contain abnormally high numbers of leukocytes displaying activated and elevated NF-?B-regulated cytokine levels, indicating that NF-?B-dependent inflammation may be a key pathological driver in this multifaceted autoimmune disease. We tested this hypothesis by genetically impairing canonical or non-canonical NF-?B signaling in FasL ?m/?m mice by deleting the c-Rel or NF-?B2 genes, respectively. Although the loss of NF-?B2 reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines and autoantibodies, the impact on animal survival was minor due to substantially accelerated and exacerbated lymphoproliferative disease. In contrast, a marked increase in lifespan resulting from the loss of c-REL coincided with a striking reduction in classical parameters of autoimmune pathology, including the levels of cytokines and antinuclear autoantibodies. Notably, the decrease in regulatory T-cell numbers associated with loss of c-REL did not exacerbate autoimmunity in FasL ?m/?m c-rel -/- mice. These findings indicate that selective inhibition of c-REL may be an attractive strategy for the treatment of autoimmune pathologies driven by defects in FASL/FAS signaling that would be expected to circumvent many of the complications caused by pan-NF-?B inhibition.
AB - FASL/FAS signaling imposes a critical barrier against autoimmune disease and lymphadenopathy. Mutant mice unable to produce membrane-bound FASL (FasL ?m/?m), a prerequisite for FAS-induced apoptosis, develop lymphadenopathy and systemic autoimmune disease with immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis. Prior to disease onset, FasL ?m/?m mice contain abnormally high numbers of leukocytes displaying activated and elevated NF-?B-regulated cytokine levels, indicating that NF-?B-dependent inflammation may be a key pathological driver in this multifaceted autoimmune disease. We tested this hypothesis by genetically impairing canonical or non-canonical NF-?B signaling in FasL ?m/?m mice by deleting the c-Rel or NF-?B2 genes, respectively. Although the loss of NF-?B2 reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines and autoantibodies, the impact on animal survival was minor due to substantially accelerated and exacerbated lymphoproliferative disease. In contrast, a marked increase in lifespan resulting from the loss of c-REL coincided with a striking reduction in classical parameters of autoimmune pathology, including the levels of cytokines and antinuclear autoantibodies. Notably, the decrease in regulatory T-cell numbers associated with loss of c-REL did not exacerbate autoimmunity in FasL ?m/?m c-rel -/- mice. These findings indicate that selective inhibition of c-REL may be an attractive strategy for the treatment of autoimmune pathologies driven by defects in FASL/FAS signaling that would be expected to circumvent many of the complications caused by pan-NF-?B inhibition.
UR - http://www.nature.com/cdd/journal/v22/n5/pdf/cdd2014168a.pdf
U2 - 10.1038/cdd.2014.168
DO - 10.1038/cdd.2014.168
M3 - Article
SN - 1350-9047
VL - 22
SP - 767
EP - 778
JO - Cell Death and Differentiation
JF - Cell Death and Differentiation
IS - 5
ER -