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Incremental expression of Tlr4 correlates with mouse resistance to Salmonella infection and fine regulation of relevant immune genes

Genes & Immunity volume 7, pages 372–383 (2006)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 26 July 2006

Abstract

The mouse response to Salmonella Typhimurium infection is partly controlled through detection of the bacterium lipopolysaccharide by the host pattern recognition receptor, Toll-like receptor 4 (Tlr4). Mice deficient in Tlr4 signaling are extremely susceptible to Salmonella infection with a 1000-fold reduction in LD50. In a previous study, we showed, using transgenic mice carrying one, three, six and >30 copies of Tlr4, that the level of expression of this gene influences the outcome of Salmonella infection, with a plateau effect starting at three copies. In the present study, we further investigate the impact of Tlr4 during Salmonella infection in mice expressing Tlr4 at slightly sub-normal, normal and slightly supra-normal levels by comparing host responses in mice carrying one, two and three copies of Tlr4 on the same genetic background. We describe in detail the in vivo host response to pathogenic Salmonella and show for the first time, in this narrow range of Tlr4 expression, an incremental protective effect against Salmonella due to improved control of bacterial growth in target organs and increased expression of important immune response genes in the spleen.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes (HHMI). MF Roy was the recipient of a CIHR fellowship. D Malo is a William Dawson scholar.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Genetics, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    M-F Roy & D Malo

  2. Center for the Study of Host Resistance, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    M-F Roy, L Larivière, R Wilkinson, M Tam, M M Stevenson & D Malo

  3. Department of Physiology, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    M M Stevenson

  4. Institute of Parasitology, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    M M Stevenson

  5. Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    D Malo

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  1. M-F Roy
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Correspondence to D Malo.

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Disclosure: The authors have no competing financial interests.

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Roy, MF., Larivière, L., Wilkinson, R. et al. Incremental expression of Tlr4 correlates with mouse resistance to Salmonella infection and fine regulation of relevant immune genes. Genes Immun 7, 372–383 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gene.6364309

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