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Negative regulation of human IL-33 in endothelium during allergic airway inflammation
Maile K. Hollinger, Chanie L. Howard, Donna C. Decker, Kelly M. Blaine, Ivy Aneas, Emily M. Grayson, Tania E. Velez, Fernando A. Oliveira, Riley T. Hannan, Daniel F. Camacho, Philip A. Verhoef, Cara L. Hrusch, Rebecca S. Griffes, Jeffrey M. Sturek, Marcelo A. Nobrega, Nathan Schoettler, Anne I. Sperling
Maile K. Hollinger, Chanie L. Howard, Donna C. Decker, Kelly M. Blaine, Ivy Aneas, Emily M. Grayson, Tania E. Velez, Fernando A. Oliveira, Riley T. Hannan, Daniel F. Camacho, Philip A. Verhoef, Cara L. Hrusch, Rebecca S. Griffes, Jeffrey M. Sturek, Marcelo A. Nobrega, Nathan Schoettler, Anne I. Sperling
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Research Article Immunology Vascular biology

Negative regulation of human IL-33 in endothelium during allergic airway inflammation

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Abstract

Lung IL-33 is involved in pathogen defense, barrier homeostasis, and development of allergic responses. We previously identified a 5 kb noncoding region within a GWAS-defined segment that regulates expression of human IL33 (hIL33) but is absent in the murine locus. To understand how this region affects IL-33 expression in vivo, we engineered 2 BAC-transgenic strains in which 166 kb of the human genome upstream of the hIL33 locus, along with a fluorescent reporter, was inserted into the murine genome, both with and without the 5 kb region. Comparison to a murine Il33 (mIl33) reporter strain revealed species-specific tropism; hIL33 reporter was mostly expressed in the endothelium, while mIl33 reporter was expressed in type 2 alveolar epithelium. hIL33 reporter expression in tracheal basal epithelium, submucosal glands, and lung microvasculature required the 5 kb region. Surprisingly, allergen and exogenous IL-33 downregulated hIL33 reporter in lung endothelium only when the 5 kb region was present. Similar IL-33–dependent downregulation of IL33 transcripts was observed in human endothelial cell lines, validating that our hIL33 reporter strain recapitulated human endothelial biology. Together, these data reveal the importance of the asthma-associated human 5 kb region in regulating human IL33 expression in a cell type– and context-dependent manner.

Authors

Maile K. Hollinger, Chanie L. Howard, Donna C. Decker, Kelly M. Blaine, Ivy Aneas, Emily M. Grayson, Tania E. Velez, Fernando A. Oliveira, Riley T. Hannan, Daniel F. Camacho, Philip A. Verhoef, Cara L. Hrusch, Rebecca S. Griffes, Jeffrey M. Sturek, Marcelo A. Nobrega, Nathan Schoettler, Anne I. Sperling

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Figure 4

Crimson expression is reduced in pulmonary vasculature after murine IL-33 administration in an ST2-dependent manner.

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Crimson expression is reduced in pulmonary vasculature after murine IL-3...
(A) Schematic describing intratracheal treatment of hIL33CrimBAC mice with 100 ng of recombinant IL-33 (rIL33). Crimson fluorescence was measured in lung stromal cells 24 hours later. (B) Crimson expression in CD45– cells from the lungs of hIL33CrimBAC mice treated with PBS or rIL33, expressed as percentage of cells positive for Crimson. (C) Crimson+ cells in the lungs of hIL33CrimBAC mice treated with PBS or rIL33, quantified as total backcalculated number of Crimson+ cells. (D) Schematic describing i.t. treatment of ST2 KO x hIL33CrimBAC mice with PBS or 100 ng rIL33. (E) Crimson expression in CD45– cells from the lungs of ST2 KO x hIL33CrimBAC mice treated as in D. (F) Crimson+ cells in the lungs of ST2 KO x hIL33CrimBAC mice treated with PBS or rIL33, quantified as total backcalculated number of Crimson+ cells. (G) Schematic describing i.t. treatment of hIL33CrimBAC5KbDel mice with PBS or 100 ng rIL33. (H) Crimson expression in CD45– cells from the lungs of hIL33CrimBAC5KbDel mice treated as in G. (I) Crimson+ cells in the lungs of hIL33CrimBAC5KbDel mice treated with PBS or rIL33, quantified as total backcalculated number of Crimson+ cells. (J) Crimson transcript levels in total lung digests from hIL33CrimBAC mice treated intratracheally with PBS or rIL33 as in A. (K) Quantification of IL33 transcripts in HUVECs, hiLECs, and HMVECs 24 hours after treatment with the indicated dose of rIL33. Data in A–I are from 2 independent experiments with n ≥ 3 samples per treatment. Data in J are from a single representative experiment. Data for each cell line in K are from a single experiment with n ≥ 3 technical replicates. Data in B–F and K are represented as mean ± first and third quartile; data in J depict all individual values with a dotted line at the mean. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01 by unpaired t test.

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