A triacylated lipoprotein from Mycoplasma genitalium activates NF-{kappa}B through TLR1 and TLR2. Infection and immunity [Infect Immun] Journal article

Mycoplasma genitalium is a sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen causing nongonococcal chlamydia-negative urethritis, mucopurulent cervicitis, endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and tubal factor infertility in humans. However, pathogenic agents that induce inflammatory responses have not been identified in M. genitalium. In this study, we examined the involvement of TLRs in the activation of immune response by a lipoprotein from M. genitalium and their active component responsible for NF-kappaB activation. The Triton X-114 detergent phase of M. genitalium was found to induce NF-kappaB through Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). The active component of the Triton X-114 detergent phase was a lipoprotein precursor MG149. The activation of NF-kappaB by MG149 was inhibited by a dominant negative (DN) construct of TLR1, but not by DN TLR6. These results indicate that the activation of NF-kappaB by MG149 is dependent on TLR1 and TLR2. The synthetic lipopeptide derived from MG149 containing three acyl chains also induced NF-kappaB through TLR1 and TLR2. Thus, the results show that MG149, a triacylated lipoprotein from M. genitalium, activates NF-kappaB through TLR1 and TLR2.

Infection and immunity [Infect Immun]