The role of IL-17A in modulating B cell response during influenza virus infection

Abstract

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A)is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a critical role in host defenses against diverse pathogens. Studies have shown that IL-17Aplays protective role against sub-lethal H1 and H3 subtypes influenza infections, but it is unclear about the role of IL-17A in the highly pathogenic H5N1 and lethal H1N1 influenza virus infection. B cell is an important effector cell type in anti-influenza immunity. Although roles of B cell in influenza infection have been extensively investigated, it is unclear whether and how IL-17AregulatesB cell response during influenza infection.

I examined the role of IL-17A against influenza infection by challengingIL-17A knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice with highly pathogenic H5N1 and lethal H1N1 influenza viruses. Following challenge, IL-17AKO mice exhibited significantly lower survival rate, profoundly reduced body weight, more severe tissue damage and higher viral burden in the lung tissues. These evidences suggest that IL-17Aplays a protective role in lethal influenza infection.

To study whether IL-17Amodulates B cell response against influenza, I found that both B-1a and B-2 cells were detected in the lung tissue and pulmonary draining lymph node, Mediastinal lymph node (MedLN),as early as 2days post-infection. Meanwhile, B-1a cells predominantly contributed to the early virus-specific IgM in the respiratory tract. However, virus-specific IgM markedly reduced in IL-17A KO mice when compared with WT controls. Adoptive transfer of B-1a cells or B-1a cell-derived antibodies conferred protection in IL-17A KO mice. These results demonstrate that IL-17A plays a critical role in modulating early antibody production of B-1a cells against lethal influenza infection.

To further elucidate how IL-17A regulates B-1a cell response, I observed that B-1a cells migrated into MedLN and lung tissues during infection and underwent plasmacytic differentiation with increased antibody production in airways. IL-17A deficiency impaired these processes of B-1a cells, while intra-nasally instillation of IL-17A restored B-1a cell response by promoting both B-1a cell migration and plasmacytic differentiation. By inducing blimp-1 expression in B-1a cells in an NF-κB dependent pathway, IL-17A directly promoted plasmacytic differentiation of B-1a cells both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, chromatin immuno-precipitation analysis confirmed that NF-κB directly bound to the promoter of blimp-1 gene and promoted blimp-1 expression in B-1a cells following IL-17A stimulation.

To determine the functional significance of IL-17A signaling in modulating B cell response against influenza infection, I first uncovered markedly reduced B cell response, predominantly B-1a cell response in IL-17A KO mice, showing reduced local migration and impaired plasmacytic differentiation in the early stage of infection. Next, intra-nasal administration of IL-17A into IL-17A KO mice significantly restored this B-1a cell response. Moreover, I detected expression of IL-17A receptor in B-1a cells. IL-17A treatment could promote antibody production from B-1a cells by inducing blimp-1 expression in an NF-κB dependent pathway.

Taken together, these findings identify a novel role of IL-17A in actingas an immune modulator of B cell response against influenza infection, which will contribute to a fuller understanding of B cell biology and anti-viral response in host defense.