Tissue damage in autoimmune disease has previously been attributed to T-cell and inflammatory cell infiltration and to the cytokines released thereafter. Activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in innate immunity generates similar proinflammatory cytokines as those of adaptive immunity and inflict mitochondrial DNA damage. Such TLRs pathology has been overlooked until recently. Among various systemic diseases, TLRs activation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CNS demyelination, ischemia/reperfusion injury of the organs, and age-related macular degeneration. In this application, TLR4 induced by heat-killed mycobacteria injected at distant sites initiates neuronal cell oxidative stress and mitochondrial DNA damage in the retina. The TLR4 upregulation was also found to associate primarily with the retinal microglia. Based on these preliminary findings, the following specific aims are proposed: 1. Determine the expression and localization of TLR and TNF-1 and its receptors in the mouse retina with an innate immune response. 2. Determine the in-vivo effects of TLR upregulation and interaction with MyD88 on mitochondrial oxidative stress, using various TLRs, MyD88, and other adaptor proteins knockout animals. 3. Determine the role of bone marrow derived retinal microglia TLR upregulation in the retinal neuronal cell mitochondrial oxidative stress, using bone marrow chimeras that express MyD88 limited to the microglia. 4. Localize oxidative stress-mediated mitochondrial DNA damage and caspases in the retina with upregulation of TLRs and demonstrate augmentation of retinal damage with T-cell-mediated adaptive immune response. The research methods designed are closely adhered to these specific aims. In innate immunity, TLRs, transcription factors (such as NFkB), cytokines (such as TNF-1), and iNOS are upregulated (specific aim 1) and are likely to co-localize to retinal microglia (specific aim 1). However, co-localization with other retinal immune cells will be also tested (specific aim 1). The association of TLRs to microglia will be further substantiated by bone marrow chimeric mice in which the retinal microglia will be bone marrow derived (Specific aim 3). The mitochondrial DNA damage mediated by TLRs activation will be tested by using various wild types and knockouts, including adaptor protein knockouts (specific aim 2). Further, the site of DNA damage and caspases will be sought in various retinal cells (specific aim 4). Once clarified, these results on initial events of TLR activation might have a global implications in autoimmune diseases and specific DNA damage in neuronal cells from TLR4 activation.
Intraocular inflammation, or uveitis, is a leading cause of blindness from retinal photoreceptor cell degeneration. This application deals with the previously overlooked aspect of early photoreceptor damage initiated by the innate immunity alone. By clarifying the mechanism of retinal damage rendered by Toll-like receptor activation, we can advance the design of therapeutic intervention to achieve the desired outcome.
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