We report that ␣v3 integrin strongly affects the innate immune response in epithelial cells. ␣v3 integrin greatly increased the response elicited via plasma membrane Toll-like receptors (TLRs) by herpes simplex virus or bacterial ligands. The endosomal TLR3, not the cytosolic sensor interferon gamma-inducible protein 16 (IFI16), was also boosted by ␣v3 integrin. The boosting was exerted specifically by ␣v3 integrin but not by ␣v6 or ␣v8 integrin. Current and previous work indicates that integrin-TLR cooperation occurs in epithelial and monocytic cells. The TLR response should be considered an integrin-TLR response.
The Toll-like receptors (TLRs) constitute the first line of defense against invading pathogens (1). They include TLR1, TLR2, and TLR4 to TLR6, which are localized at the plasma membrane, and TLR3, TLR7, and TLR9, which are localized at endosomal membranes (1). TLR2 can be expressed as a homodimer or as a heterodimer with TLR1 or TLR6. The plasma membrane TLRs recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) present on the surfaces of bacteria (e.g., lipopolysaccharide [LPS], flagellin) or of viruses (e.g., virion envelope glycoproteins). The endosomal TLRs recognize viral or bacterial DNA or RNA.Integrins are cell surface glycoproteins involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. They are composed of an ␣ and a  subunit (2-4). They serve as receptors for several viruses, including some herpesviruses (5-10). Our laboratory investigated the role played by integrins in herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry and found that ␣v6 and ␣v8 integrins serve as interchangeable receptors for HSV entry into epithelial and neuronal cells (11). They bind the envelope glycoproteins gH and gL (gH/gL), a heterodimeric component of the fusion machinery, with high affinity (11). Their interaction with gH/gL promotes virion endocytosis and the displacement of gL from gH, most likely as part of the process of gH activation (12). An additional integrin involved in HSV entry is ␣v3, which serves two functions. It binds gH/gL at low affinity and routes HSV to lipid rafts and an acidic endosomal pathway of entry and thus serves as a routing factor (13). Importantly, it contributes to the innate immune response through a concerted action with TLR2 (14-16). In epithelial cell lines, including keratinocytic and neuronal cells, interferon alpha (IFN-␣) and IFN-, interleukin 2, and interleukin 10 are upregulated, and NF-B is activated in response to HSV or to LPS (14). This response is strongly impaired in the absence of TLR2 or upon 3-integrin depletion. The HSV PAMP is gH/gL, which simultaneously binds ␣v3 integrin and TLR2 and thus cross-links the two receptors (14). The basis of the concerted ␣v3 integrin-TLR2 response rests in boosting by ␣v3 integrin of MYD88-dependent TLR2 signaling (16).Here, we asked whether the concerted integrin-TLR response is a broader phenomenon that involves epithelial integrins other than ␣v3 (e.g., ␣v6 and ␣v8) or additional TLRs. To address this question, 293T cells and t...