Salmonella exploits NLRP12-dependent innate immune signaling to suppress host defenses during infection

MH Zaki, SM Man, P Vogel… - Proceedings of the …, 2014 - National Acad Sciences
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014National Acad Sciences
The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain
containing 12 (NLRP12) plays a protective role in intestinal inflammation and
carcinogenesis, but the physiological function of this NLR during microbial infection is
largely unexplored. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) is a leading
cause of food poisoning worldwide. Here, we show that NLRP12-deficient mice were highly
resistant to S. typhimurium infection. Salmonella-infected macrophages induced NLRP12 …
The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 12 (NLRP12) plays a protective role in intestinal inflammation and carcinogenesis, but the physiological function of this NLR during microbial infection is largely unexplored. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) is a leading cause of food poisoning worldwide. Here, we show that NLRP12-deficient mice were highly resistant to S. typhimurium infection. Salmonella-infected macrophages induced NLRP12-dependent inhibition of NF-κB and ERK activation by suppressing phosphorylation of IκBα and ERK. NLRP12-mediated down-regulation of proinflammatory and antimicrobial molecules prevented efficient clearance of bacterial burden, highlighting a role for NLRP12 as a negative regulator of innate immune signaling during salmonellosis. These results underscore a signaling pathway defined by NLRP12-mediated dampening of host immune defenses that could be exploited by S. typhimurium to persist and survive in the host.
National Acad Sciences