Partner: Connie Lam


Recent publications
1.Adamson A., Boddington C., Downton P., Rowe W., Bagnall J., Lam C., Maya-Mendoza A., Schmidt L., Harper Claire V.V., Spiller David G., Rand David A.A., Jackson Dean A., White Michael R. H.R., Paszek P., Signal transduction controls heterogeneous NF-κB dynamics and target gene expression through cytokine-specific refractory states, Nature Communications, ISSN: 2041-1723, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12057, Vol.7, pp.12057-1-14, 2016
Abstract:

Cells respond dynamically to pulsatile cytokine stimulation. Here we report that single, or well-spaced pulses of TNFα (>100 min apart) give a high probability of NF-κB activation. However, fewer cells respond to shorter pulse intervals (<100 min) suggesting a heterogeneous refractory state. This refractory state is established in the signal transduction network downstream of TNFR and upstream of IKK, and depends on the level of the NF-κB system negative feedback protein A20. If a second pulse within the refractory phase is IL-1β instead of TNFα, all of the cells respond. This suggests a mechanism by which two cytokines can synergistically activate an inflammatory response. Gene expression analyses show strong correlation between the cellular dynamic response and NF-κB-dependent target gene activation. These data suggest that refractory states in the NF-κB system constitute an inherent design motif of the inflammatory response and we suggest that this may avoid harmful homogenous cellular activation.

Affiliations:
Adamson A.-other affiliation
Boddington C.-other affiliation
Downton P.-other affiliation
Rowe W.-other affiliation
Bagnall J.-other affiliation
Lam C.-other affiliation
Maya-Mendoza A.-other affiliation
Schmidt L.-other affiliation
Harper Claire V.V.-University of Manchester (GB)
Spiller David G.-other affiliation
Rand David A.A.-University of Warwick (GB)
Jackson Dean A.-other affiliation
White Michael R. H.R.-University of Manchester (GB)
Paszek P.-other affiliation