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Infection and Immunity, August 2008, p. 3672-3678, Vol. 76, No. 8
0019-9567/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00257-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

A Triacylated Lipoprotein from Mycoplasma genitalium Activates NF-B through Toll-Like Receptor 1 (TLR1) and TLR2

The Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan

Received 22 February 2008/ Returned for modification 26 March 2008/ Accepted 5 May 2008

Mycoplasma genitalium is a sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen that causes nongonococcal chlamydia-negative urethritis, mucopurulent cervicitis, endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and tubal factor infertility in humans. However, pathogenic agents that induce inflammatory responses have not been identified in M. genitalium. In this study, we examined the involvement of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in activation of the immune response by a lipoprotein from M. genitalium and their active component responsible for NF-B activation. The Triton X-114 detergent phase of M. genitalium was found to induce NF-B through TLR2. The active component of the Triton X-114 detergent phase was a lipoprotein precursor, MG149. The activation of NF-B by MG149 was inhibited by a dominant negative (DN) construct of TLR1 but not by a DN construct of TLR6. These results indicate that the activation of NF-B by MG149 is dependent on TLR1 and TLR2. A synthetic lipopeptide derived from MG149 containing three acyl chains also induced NF-B through TLR1 and TLR2. Thus, the results show that MG149, a triacylated lipoprotein from M. genitalium, activates NF-B through TLR1 and TLR2.

Published ahead of print on 12 May 2008.

Editor: R. P. Morrison