In:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 114, No. 13 ( 2017-03-28)
Abstract:
The proinflammatory cytokine IL-36γ is highly expressed in epithelial cells and is a pivotal mediator of epithelial inflammation. In particular, IL-36γ is strongly associated with the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis. As with other IL-1 cytokines, IL-36γ is expressed as an inactive precursor and must be processed by specific proteases to become bioactive. Our aim therefore was to identify protease/s capable of IL-36γ activation and explore the importance of this activation in psoriasis. Using a keratinocyte-based activity assay in conjunction with small-molecule inhibitors and siRNA gene silencing, cathepsin S was identified as the major IL-36γ–activating protease expressed by epithelial cells. Interestingly, cathepsin S activity was strongly up-regulated in samples extracted from psoriasis patients relative to healthy controls. In addition, IL-36γ–Ser18, identified as the main product of cathepsin S-dependent IL-36γ cleavage, induced psoriasiform changes in human skin-equivalent models. Together, these data provide important mechanistic insights into the activation of IL-36γ and highlight that cathepsin S-mediated activation of IL-36γ may be important in the development of numerous IL-36γ–driven pathologies, in addition to psoriasis.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0027-8424
,
1091-6490
DOI:
10.1073/pnas.1620954114
Language:
English
Publisher:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publication Date:
2017
detail.hit.zdb_id:
209104-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1461794-8
SSG:
11
SSG:
12