CD14 and toll-like receptors 2 and 4 are required for fibrillar Aβ-stimulated microglial activation

EG Reed-Geaghan, JC Savage, AG Hise… - Journal of …, 2009 - Soc Neuroscience
Journal of Neuroscience, 2009Soc Neuroscience
Microglia are the brain's tissue macrophages and are found in an activated state
surrounding β-amyloid plaques in the Alzheimer's disease brain. Microglia interact with
fibrillar β-amyloid (fAβ) through an ensemble of surface receptors composed of the α6β1
integrin, CD36, CD47, and the class A scavenger receptor. These receptors act in concert to
initiate intracellular signaling cascades and phenotypic activation of these cells. However, it
is unclear how engagement of this receptor complex is linked to the induction of an activated …
Microglia are the brain's tissue macrophages and are found in an activated state surrounding β-amyloid plaques in the Alzheimer's disease brain. Microglia interact with fibrillar β-amyloid (fAβ) through an ensemble of surface receptors composed of the α6β1 integrin, CD36, CD47, and the class A scavenger receptor. These receptors act in concert to initiate intracellular signaling cascades and phenotypic activation of these cells. However, it is unclear how engagement of this receptor complex is linked to the induction of an activated microglial phenotype. We report that the response of microglial cells to fibrillar forms of Aβ requires the participation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the coreceptor CD14. The response of microglia to fAβ is reliant upon CD14, which act together with TLR4 and TLR2 to bind fAβ and to activate intracellular signaling. We find that cells lacking these receptors could not initiate a Src-Vav-Rac signaling cascade leading to reactive oxygen species production and phagocytosis. The fAβ-mediated activation of p38 MAPK also required CD14, TLR4, and TLR2. Inhibition of p38 abrogated fAβ-induced reactive oxygen species production and attenuated the induction of phagocytosis. Microglia lacking CD14, TLR4, and TLR2 showed no induction of phosphorylated IκBα following fAβ. These data indicate these innate immune receptors function as members of the microglial fAβ receptor complex and identify the signaling mechanisms whereby they contribute to microglial activation.
Soc Neuroscience