Chinese study found that dopamine regulation of innate immunity

Professor, University of Science and Technology of China CRITICAL Research Group, Tian Zhigang research group in collaboration with Beijing Proteome Research Center, Chen Ding study group made an important breakthrough in the study of regulatory mechanisms NLRP3 inflammasome body was found the neurotransmitter dopamine by inhibiting the body relieve NLRP3 inflammasome nervous system inflammation and inflammation. The study, published in the January 15 issue of “cells” on.

Inflammation of the small body is a recognition by the innate immune receptors are involved in the cytoplasm assembled multi-protein complexes mediate IL-1 can produce a variety of inflammatory mediators and other essential occurrence of inflammatory responses, and participate in the tumor, the development of a variety of human diseases related to inflammation of major neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases. Because of the key role of inflammation in the small bodies of inflammatory diseases, the activation will be subject to strict regulation of the body, but the inflammation of the small-activated control mechanism is still unclear.

The researchers found that the work of the neurotransmitter dopamine may well inhibit the activation of macrophages NLRP3 inflammasome body, thereby inhibiting the secretion of IL-1 and other inflammatory cytokines. Further research found that dopamine receptor DRD1 induced by NLRP3 ubiquitination and degradation. Dopamine-induced ubiquitination and degradation NLRP3 dependent on one E3 ligase MARCH7.

Finally, the researchers also found that dopamine can NLRP3 inflammasome body by inhibiting dopamine neurons relieve inflammation caused by nerve damage and peritoneal inflammation caused by peripheral inflammation. This work not only found a NLRP3 endogenous regulatory mechanisms of inflammation bodies, but also provide a potential target for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory diseases.

Above work was supported by Foundation of China, the Chinese Ministry of Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Ministry of Education.