Contribution of interferon-β to the murine macrophage response to the toll-like receptor 4 agonist, lipopolysaccharide

Interferon-beta (IFN-beta) has been identified as the signature cytokine induced via the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, "MyD88-independent" signaling pathway in macrophages stimulated by Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this study, we analyzed the responses of macrophages derived from wildtype (IFN-beta(+/+)) mice or mice with a targeted mutation in IFN-beta (IFN-beta(+/+)) to the prototype TLR4 agonist, Escherichia coli LPS. A comparison of basal and LPS-induced gene expression (by reverse transcription-PCR, real-time PCR, and Affymetrix microarray analyses) resulted in the identification of four distinct patterns of gene expression affected by IFN-beta deficiency. Analysis of a subset of each group of differentially regulated genes by computer-assisted promoter analysis revealed putative IFN-responsive elements in all genes examined. LPS-induced activation of intracellular signaling molecules, STAT1 Tyr-701, STAT1 Ser-727, and Akt, but not p38, JNK, and ERK MAPK proteins, was significantly diminished in IFN-beta(+/+) versus IFN-beta beta(+/+) macrophages. "Priming" of IFN-beta(-/-) macrophages with exogenous recombinant IFN-beta significantly increased levels of LPS-induced gene expression for induction of monocyte chemotactic protein 5, inducible nitric-oxide synthase, IP-10, and IL-12 p40 mRNA, whereas no increase or relatively small increases were observed for IL-1 beta, IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, and MyD88 mRNA. Finally, IFN-beta(+/+) mice challenged in vivo with LPS exhibited increased survival when compared with wild-type IFN-beta(+/+) controls, indicating that IFN-beta contributes to LPS-induced lethality; however, not to the extent that one observes in mice with more complete pathway deficiencies (e.g. TLR4(-/-) or TRIF-/- mice). Collectively, these findings reveal unanticipated regulatory roles for IFN-beta in response to LPS in vitro and in vivo.