Cylindromatosis (CYLD), a Deubiquitinase, Attenuates Inflammatory Signaling Pathways by Activating Toll-Like Receptor 3 in Human Mesangial Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cylindromatosis (CYLD), a deubiquitinase, negatively regulates nuclear factor-κB in various cells. However, its potential roles in glomerular inflammation remain unclear. Because the activation of the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)/type I interferon (IFN) pathways plays a pivotal role in chronic kidney diseases (CKD), we examined the role of CYLD in the TLR3 signaling in cultured human mesangial cells (MCs).

METHODS: We stimulated CYLD-silenced MCs with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly IC), a synthetic analogue of dsRNA, and studied representative TLR3/IFN-β pathways (i.e., TLR3/IFN-β/retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I)/CCL5, and TLR3/IFN-β/melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5)/CXCL10 axes) using RT-PCR, western blotting, and ELISA. We also used immunofluorescence staining and microscopy to examine mesangial CYLD expression in biopsied specimens from patients with CKD.

RESULTS: CYLD silencing resulted in an increase of poly IC-induced RIG-I and MDA5 protein levels and increased CCL5 and CXCL10 mRNA and protein expression, but unexpectedly decreased mRNA expressions of RIG-I and MDA5. Interestingly, CYLD silencing did not affect IFN-β or the phosphorylated STAT1 (signal transducers and activator of transcription protein 1). CYLD was highly expressed in biopsied specimens from patients with proliferative lupus nephritis (LN).

CONCLUSION: CYLD inhibits post-transcriptional regulation of RIG-I and MDA5 expression following TLR3 activation in MCs. CYLD may be involved in the pathogenesis of CKD, especially pathogenesis of LN.