Anti-IRAK2 monoclonal antibody, clone 7D8

Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways need to be tightly controlled to avoid excessive inflammation and unwanted damage to the host. Myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) is a critical adaptor of TLR signaling. Here, we identified the speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) as a MyD88-associated protein. SPOP was recruited to MyD88 following TLR4 activation. TLR4 activation also caused the translocation of SPOP from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. SPOP depletion promoted the aggregation of MyD88 and recruitment of the downstream signaling kinases IRAK4, IRAK1 and IRAK2. Consistently, overexpression of SPOP inhibited the TLR4-mediated activation of NF-kappa B and production of inflammatory cytokines, whereas SPOP depletion had the opposite effects. Furthermore, knockdown of SPOP increased MyD88 aggregation and inflammatory cytokine production upon TLR2, TLR7 and TLR9 activation. Our findings reveal a mechanism by which MyD88 is regulated and highlight a role for SPOP in limiting inflammatory responses.

Poxviruses are DNA viruses that express numerous proteins to subvert the host immune response. Vaccinia virus protein K7 adopts a Bcl-2 fold and displays structural and functional similarities to Toll-like receptor antagonist A52. Both proteins interact with IRAK2 and TRAF6 and suppress TLR-dependent NF-kappa B activation. However, unlike A52, K7 also forms a complex with RNA helicase DDX3 and antagonizes interferon-beta promoter induction. We have narrowed the K7 binding site to an N-terminal peptide motif of DDX3 ahead of its core RNA-helicase domains. The crystal structure of full-length K7 in complex with the DDX3 peptide reveals a thumblike projection of tandem phenalyalanine residues of DDX3 into a deep hydrophobic cleft. Mutagenesis of these phenylalanines abolishes the effects of DDX3 on interferon-beta promoter induction. The structure of K7-DDX3 reveals a novel binding mode by a viral Bcl-2 protein that antagonizes a key pathway in innate immunity.