2023 journal article

C/EBP beta deficiency enhances the keratinocyte innate immune response to direct activators of cytosolic pattern recognition receptors

INNATE IMMUNITY, 29(1-2), 14–24.

By: J. House n, S. Gray n, J. Owen n, D. Jima n, R. Smart n & J. Hall n

author keywords: C/EBP beta; cell death; keratinocytes; type I IFN response
MeSH headings : Animals; Mice; Caspase 3 / metabolism; Caspase 8 / metabolism; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta / genetics; Immunity, Innate; Interferon Type I / metabolism; Keratinocytes; Receptors, Pattern Recognition / genetics; Receptors, Pattern Recognition / metabolism
TL;DR: The conditional deletion of C/EBPβ transcription factor in mouse epidermis resulted in the upregulation of IFNβ and numerous keratinocyte interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and the expression of cytosolic pattern recognition receptors (cPRRs), that recognize viral RNA and DNA, were significantly increased, and enriched in the RNAseq data set. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
3. Good Health and Well-being (Web of Science; OpenAlex)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: May 30, 2023

The skin is the first line of defense to cutaneous microbes and viruses, and epidermal keratinocytes play a critical role in preventing infection by viruses and pathogens through activation of the type I interferon (IFN) response. Using RNAseq analysis, here we report that the conditional deletion of C/EBPβ transcription factor in mouse epidermis (CKOβ mice) resulted in the upregulation of IFNβ and numerous keratinocyte interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). The expression of cytosolic pattern recognition receptors (cPRRs), that recognize viral RNA and DNA, were significantly increased, and enriched in the RNAseq data set. cPRRs stimulate a type I IFN response that can trigger cell death to eliminate infected cells. To determine if the observed increases in cPRRs had functional consequences, we transfected CKOβ primary keratinocytes with the pathogen and viral mimics poly(I:C) (dsRNA) or poly(dA:dT) (synthetic B-DNA) that directly activate PRRs. Transfected CKOβ primary keratinocytes displayed an amplified type I IFN response which was accompanied by increased activation of IRF3, enhanced ISG expression, enhanced activation of caspase-8, caspase-3 and increased apoptosis. Our results identify C/EBPβ as a critical repressor of the keratinocyte type I IFN response, and demonstrates that the loss of C/EBPβ primes keratinocytes to the activation of cytosolic PRRs by pathogen RNA and DNA to induce cell death mediated by caspase-8 and caspase-3.