Metal Ion Periplasmic-Binding Protein YfeA of Induces the Secretion of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines of Macrophages via MAPK and NF-κB Signaling through TLR2 and TLR4.

The gene, belonging to the well-conserved ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transport system , encodes the substrate-binding subunit of the iron, zinc, and manganese transport system in bacteria. As a potential vaccine candidate in , the functional mechanisms of YfeA in the infection process remain obscure. In this study, vaccination with YfeA effectively protected the C56BL6 mouse against the SC1401 challenge. Bioinformatics analysis suggests that YfeA is highly conserved in , and its metal-binding sites have been strictly conserved throughout evolution. Stimulation of RAW 264.7 macrophages with YfeA verified that toll-like receptors (TLR) 2 and 4 participated in the positive transcription and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. The activation of TLR2 and TLR4 utilized the MyD88/MAL and TRIF/TRAM pairs to initiate TLRs signaling. Furthermore, YfeA was shown to stimulate nuclear translocation of NF-κB and activated diverse mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling cascades, which are specific to the secretion of particular cytokine(s) in murine macrophages. Separate blocking TLR2, TLR4, MAPK, and RelA (p65) pathways significantly decreased YfeA-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production. In addition, YfeA-stimulated RAW 264.7 produces the pro-inflammatory hallmark, reactive oxygen species (ROS). In conclusion, our findings indicate that YfeA is a novel pro-inflammatory mediator in and induces TLR2 and TLR4-dependent pro-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages through P38, JNK-MAPK, and NF-κB signaling pathways.