Plasma membrane cholesterol plays a critical role in the Salmonella-induced anti-inflammatory response in intestinal epithelial cells

Fu Chen Huang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Our recent study demonstrated that a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt-dependent anti-inflammatory pathway was activated by Salmonella in intestinal epithelial cells. Salmonella virulence is dependent on the ability of the bacterium to invade nonphagocytic host cells and then survive and replicate within modified Salmonella-containing vacuoles where cholesterol accumulates. In addition, cholesterol in membrane lipid rafts is frequently a platform for the activation of downstream signaling pathways, including the PI3K/Akt pathway. However, the role of plasma membrane cholesterol in the Salmonella-induced anti-inflammatory response in intestinal epithelial cells has not been elucidated. Here, we show that the effect of plasma membrane cholesterol depletion on the inhibition of Akt activation allows sustained ERK activation and the subsequent upregulation of IL-8 expression. These results demonstrate that plasma membrane cholesterol plays a critical role in the PI3K-dependent anti-inflammatory pathway activated by Salmonella in intestinal epithelial cells.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)480-487
Number of pages8
JournalCellular Immunology
Volume271
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011

Keywords

  • Cell membrane
  • Cholesterol
  • Interleukin-8
  • Intestinal epithelium
  • Salmonella

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