Phagocytosis of non-opsonized microorganisms by macrophages initiates innate immune responses for host defense against infection. Cytosolic phospholipase A 2 is activated during phagocytosis, releasing arachidonic acid for production of eicosanoids, which initiate acute inflammation. Our objective was to identify pattern recognition receptors that stimulate arachidonic acid release and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) expression in macrophages by pathogenic yeast and yeast cell walls. Zymosan-and Candida albicans-stimulated arachidonic acid release from resident mouse peritoneal macrophages was blocked by soluble glucan phosphate. In RAW264.7 cells arachidonic acid release, COX2 expression, and prostaglandin production were enhanced by overexpressing the ␤-glucan receptor, dectin-1, but not dectin-1 lacking the cytoplasmic tail. Pure particulate (1, 3)-␤-D-glucan stimulated arachidonic acid release and COX2 expression, which were augmented in a Tolllike receptor 2 (TLR2)-dependent manner by macrophage-activating lipopeptide-2. However, arachidonic acid release and leukotriene C 4 production stimulated by zymosan and C. albicans were TLR2-independent, whereas COX2 expression and prostaglandin production were partially blunted in TLR2

Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A 2 (cPLA 2 ␣) is regulated by phosphorylation and calcium-induced translocation to membranes. Immortalized mouse lung fibroblasts lacking endogenous cPLA 2 ␣ (IMLF ؊/؊ ) were reconstituted with wild type and cPLA 2 ␣ mutants to investigate how calcium, phosphorylation, and the putative phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ) binding site regulate translocation and arachidonic acid (AA) release. Agonists that elicit distinct modes of calcium mobilization were used. Serum induced cPLA 2 ␣ translocation to Golgi within seconds that temporally paralleled the initial calcium transient. However, the subsequent influx of extracellular calcium was essential for stable binding of cPLA 2 ␣ to Golgi and AA release. In contrast, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced low amplitude calcium oscillations, slower translocation of cPLA 2 ␣ to Golgi, and much less AA release, which were blocked by chelating extracellular calcium. AA release from IMLF ؊/؊ expressing phosphorylation site (S505A) and PIP 2 binding site (K488N/K543N/K544N) mutants was partially reduced compared with cells expressing wild type cPLA 2 ␣, but calcium-induced translocation was not impaired. Consistent with these results, Ser-505 phosphorylation did not change the calcium requirement for interfacial binding and catalysis in vitro but increased activity by 2-fold. Mutations in basic residues in the catalytic domain of cPLA 2 ␣ reduced activation by PIP 2 but did not affect the concentration of calcium required for interfacial binding or phospholipid hydrolysis. The results demonstrate that Ser-505 phosphorylation and basic residues in the catalytic domain principally act to regulate cPLA 2 ␣ hydrolytic activity.

The RNA genomes of plant luteovirids beet western yellows virus (BWYV), potato leaf roll virus (PLRV), and pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV RNA1; PEMV-1) contain a short mRNA pseudoknotted motif overlapping the P1 and P2 open reading frames required for programmed -1 mRNA ribosomal frameshifting. The relationship between structure, stability, and function is poorly understood in these RNA systems. A m(5)-C(8)-substituted BWYV RNA is employed to establish that the BWYV P1-P2 pseudoknot is protonated at cytidine 8 in loop L1 (delta(N(3)H)+ = 12.98 ppm), which stabilizes a C(+.)(G-C) major groove base triple by Delta(DeltaG(37))(protonation) = 3.1 (+/-0.4) kcal mol(-1). The stabilities of both the PLRV and PEMV-1 P1-P2 pseudoknots are also strongly pH-dependent, with Delta(DeltaG(37))(protonation) = 2.1 (+/-0.2) kcal mol(-1) for the PEMV-1 pseudoknot despite a distinct structural context. As previously found for the BWYV pseudoknot [Nixon and Giedroc (2000) J. Mol. Biol. 296, 659], both the PLRV and PEMV-1 RNAs are stabilized by DeltaH > or = 30 kcal mol(-)(1) in excess of secondary structure predictions, attributed to loop L2-stem S1 minor groove triplex interactions. BWYV RNAs containing single 2'-deoxy or A --> G substitutions that disrupt L2-S1 hydrogen bonding are strongly destabilized with Delta(DeltaG(37))(folding) (pH = 7.0) ranging from approximately 1.8 (+/-0.3) to > or =4.0 kcal mol(-1), relative to the wild-type BWYV RNA. These findings suggest that each member of this family of pseudoknots adopts a tightly folded structure that maximizes the cooperativity and complementarity of L1-S2 and L2-S1 loop-stem interactions required in part to offset the low intrinsic stability of the short three base pair pseudoknot stem S2.

The role of Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2α) activation in regulating macrophage transcriptional responses to Candida albicans infection was investigated. cPLA2α releases arachidonic acid for the production of eicosanoids. In mouse resident peritoneal macrophages, prostacyclin, prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene C4 were produced within minutes of C. albicans addition before cyclooxygenase 2 expression. The production of TNFα was lower in C. albicans-stimulated cPLA2α+/+ than cPLA2α-/- macrophages due to an autocrine effect of prostaglandins that increased cAMP to a greater extent in cPLA2α+/+ than cPLA2α-/- macrophages. For global insight, differential gene expression in C. albicans-stimulated cPLA2α+/+ and cPLA2α-/- macrophages (3 h) was compared by microarray. cPLA2α+/+ macrophages expressed 86 genes at lower levels and 181 genes at higher levels than cPLA2α-/- macrophages (≥2-fold, p<0.05). Several pro-inflammatory genes were expressed at lower levels (Tnfα, Cx3cl1, Cd40, Ccl5, Csf1, Edn1, CxCr7, Irf1, Irf4, Akna, Ifnγ, several IFNγ-inducible GTPases). Genes that dampen inflammation (Socs3, Il10, Crem, Stat3, Thbd, Thbs1, Abca1) and genes involved in host defense (Gja1, Csf3, Trem1, Hdc) were expressed at higher levels in cPLA2α+/+ macrophages. Representative genes expressed lower in cPLA2α+/+ macrophages (Tnfα, Csf1) were increased by treatment with a prostacyclin receptor antagonist and protein kinase A inhibitor, whereas genes expressed at higher levels (Crem, Nr4a2, Il10, Csf3) were suppressed. The results suggest that C. albicans stimulates an autocrine loop in macrophages involving cPLA2α, cyclooxygenase 1-derived prostaglandins and increased cAMP that globally effects expression of genes involved in host defense and inflammation.

Eicosanoid production by macrophages is an early response to microbial infection that promotes acute inflammation. The intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes stimulates arachidonic acid release and eicosanoid production from resident mouse peritoneal macrophages through activation of group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A 2 (cPLA 2 ␣).