Expression data from murine TLR5 overexpressing HEK293 cells treated with flagellins of E. coli Nissle (EcN) and Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 (ST)

The healthy gut microbiota is composed of three different functional subgroups, symbionts, commensals and pathobionts. Additionally, infection with pathogenic bacteria can occur. Microbe Associated Molecular Patterns (MAMPs) are expressed by most members of both, microbiota and pathogens and interact with Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs), resulting in activation of the innate immune system. It is still unclear whether the interaction of PRRs with MAMPs of different origin, leads to a differential activation of innate immunity and whether thereby, distinction can be made between symbionts, commensals, pathobionts and pathogens. Here we addressed the question whether the interaction of flagellin with Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) might be a possible mechanism of the innate immune system to distinguish between the different microbial subgroups and initiate the respective immune response. To characterize distinct cellular immune responses to symbiont or pathogen derived flagellin we run transcriptomics, phosphoproteomics and proteomics of TLR5 overexpressing cells. Responses to different flagellins were characterized by differential kinetics and regulation of protein phosphorylation as well as variant protein expression patterns. In vivo experiments revealed that commensal derived flagellin mediated an inert TLR5 signal, thus not affecting Dextran-Sodium-Sulfate (DSS) induced intestinal inflammation. In vitro pathogenic derived flagellin induced a strong pro-inflammatory TLR5 response and did not ameliorate intestinal inflammation. In contrast, symbiont derived flagellin revealed an intermediate TLR5 activation and clearly ameliorated DSS induced intestinal inflammation thus shifting the host immune response in favor of mucosal immune balance. Bone marrow chimeric mice proofed that CD11c+TLR5+ intestinal lamina propria cells mediate the anti-inflammatory symbiotic effect of flagellin. We suggest that the quality of flagellin-induced TL signal might determine the balance between homeostasis and intestinal inflammation and may help the innate immune system to distinguish between symbionts, commensals, pathobionts and pathogenic microbes. We used microarrays to analyze differential expression of genes between treatments with flagellins of E. coli Nissle (EcN) and Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 (ST). TLR5 overexpressing human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) were treated with flagellins of E. coli Nissle (EcN) and Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 (ST) and a mock control for a period of 120min taking samples at 60min (timepoint t1) and 120min (timepoint t2). To analyze gene expression changes related to either EcN or ST treatment total RNA was extracted for subsequent array hybridization and microarray analysis using the Affymetrix Human Gene 2.1 ST Array chip.