Role of activin A in the innate immune responses -Identification of compounds that regulate innate immune responses-

• Project/Area Number: 24580440
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Basic veterinary science/Basic zootechnical science
• Research Institution: The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: OGAWA Kenji 独立行政法人理化学研究所, 吉田化学遺伝学研究室, 専任研究員 (50251418)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥5,590,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,290,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
• Keywords: Activin A / マクロファージ / Acitivin A / TGF-β / 自然免疫 / TLR

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have studied the function of activin A produced by the activated macrophages during the innate immune responses. Murine peritoneal macrophages produced activin A in response to stimulation with R848, an agonist of TLR7. The activin βA mRNA level was increased in macrophages by R848, suggesting that the activin production augmented by R848 is regulated at the mRNA level of the βA gene. DNA microarray was employed to identify genes whose expression is regulated by autocrine activin A during innate immune responses. Peritoneal macrophages were cultured with R848 for 24 h in the presence or absence of anti-activin A neutralizing mAb. Total RNA was isolated from the cells and was subjected to microarray analysis. Arginase-1 and TGFB1 were found to be up-regulated by autocrine activin A in the activated macrophages. Findings indicated that these factors mediate activin A-induced alternative activation of macrophages during the innate immune responses.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Follistatin is induced by IL-1βand TNF-αin stromal cells from endometrioma (2013)
  • Author(s): Akiyama I, Yoshino O, Osuga Y, Izumi G, Urata Y, Hirota Y, Hirata T, Harada M, Koga K, Ogawa K, Kozuma S
  • Journal Title: Reprod Sci Volume: 20(6) Issue: 6 Pages: 675-9
  • DOI: 10.1177/1933719112463253
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Activin A in innate and acquired immunity (2012)
  • Author(s): Ogawa K
  • Organizer: The 4th Congress of Asian Association of Veterinary Anatomists
  • Place of Presentation: Phuket, Thailand
  • Invited