HMGB1 develops enhanced binding to cytokines

High mobility group box I protein (HMGB1), originally characterized as a nuclear DNA-binding protein, has also been described to have an extracellular role when it is involved in cellular activation and proinflammatory responses. In this study, FLAG-tagged HMGB1 was inducibly expressed in the presence of culture media with or without added IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma, or TNF-alpha. HMGB1 purified from cells grown in culture media alone only minimally increased cytokine production by MH-S macrophages and had no effect on murine neutrophils. In contrast, HMGB1 isolated from cells cultured in the presence of IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha had enhanced proinflammatory activity, resulting in increased production of MIP-2 and TNF-alpha by exposed cells. IL-1 beta was bound to HMGB1 isolated from cells cultured with this cytokine, and purified HMGB1 incubated with recombinant IL-1 beta acquired proinflammatory activity. Addition of anti-IL-1 beta Abs or the IL-1 receptor antagonist to cell cultures blocked the proinflammatory activity of HMGB1 purified from IL-1 beta-exposed cells, indicating that such activity was dependent on interaction with the IL-1 receptor. These results demonstrate that HMGB1 acquires proinflammatory activity through binding to proinflammatory mediators, such as IL-1 beta.