In stimulating effector functions of mononuclear phagocytes, IFN-c is of pivotal importance in host defense against intramacrophage pathogens including salmonellae. As the activity of IFN-c is modulated by iron and since a sufficient availability of iron is essential for the growth of pathogens, we investigated the regulatory effects of IFN-c on iron homeostasis and immune function in murine macrophages infected with Salmonella typhimurium. In Salmonella-infected phagocytes, IFN-c caused a significant reduction of iron uptake via transferrin receptor 1 and resulted in an increased iron efflux caused by an enhanced expression of the iron exporter ferroportin 1. Moreover, the expression of haem oxygenase 1 and of the siderophore-capturing antimicrobial peptide lipocalin 2 was markedly elevated following bacterial invasion, with IFN-c exerting a super-inducing effect. This observed regulatory impact of IFN-c reduced the intracellular iron pools within infected phagocytes, thus restricting the acquisition of iron by engulfed Salmonella typhimurium while concomitantly promoting NO and TNF-a production. Our data suggest that the modulation of crucial pathways of macrophage iron metabolism in response to IFN-c concordantly aims at withdrawing iron from intracellular Salmonella and at strengthening macrophage immune response functions. These regulations are thus consistent with the principles of nutritional immunity.
IntroductionHost defense against intracellular microbes such as salmonellae or mycobacteria strongly depends on cell-mediated immunity, a major component of which is characterized by interactions between Th1 cells and macrophages [1]. By secreting Th1 cytokines, particularly IFN-c, antigen-specific Th1 cells activate a plethora of microbicidal mechanisms in infected macrophages. Specifically, in mononuclear phagocytes infected with Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium (S. typhimurium), IFN-c promotes the internalization of bacteria and stimulates their elimination by various mechanisms including reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS), generated via NADPH phagocyte oxidase and iNOS, respectively [2][3][4][5]. In Salmonella-infected mice, treatment with recombinant IFN-c increases host survival and decreases bacterial numbers in liver and spleen [6]. Conversely, neutralization of murine IFN-c functions with specific antibodies results in reduced host survival and increased bacterial counts [7]. Eur. J. Immunol. 2008. 38: 1923-1936 Immunity to infection In humans, the central importance of IFN-c for immune response against salmonellae is highlighted by the fact that patients with genetic defects in the IL-12-induced production of IFN-c or in the IFN-c receptor 1 selectively suffer from infections with salmonellae and otherwise weakly pathogenic mycobacteria since their phagocytes fail to eliminate these microbes [8,9]. Iron serves as an essential nutrient for nearly all pathogenic microorganisms, and the expression of iron acquisition systems by infectious agents is associated with their virule...