Molecular mechanism for sphingosine-induced Pseudomonas ceramidase expression through the transcriptional regulator SphR.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic, but serious multidrug-resistant pathogen, secretes a ceramidase capable of cleaving the N-acyl linkage of ceramide to generate fatty acids and sphingosine. We previously reported that the secretion of P. aeruginosa ceramidase was induced by host-derived sphingolipids, through which phospholipase C-induced hemolysis was significantly enhanced. We herein investigated the gene(s) regulating sphingolipid-induced ceramidase expression and identified SphR, which encodes a putative AraC family transcriptional regulator. Disruption of the sphR gene in P. aeruginosa markedly decreased the sphingomyelin-induced secretion of ceramidase, reduced hemolytic activity, and resulted in the loss of sphingomyelin-induced ceramidase expression. A microarray analysis confirmed that sphingomyelin significantly induced ceramidase expression in P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that SphR specifically bound free sphingoid bases such as sphingosine, dihydrosphingosine, and phytosphingosine, but not sphingomyelin or ceramide. A ß-galactosidase-assisted promoter assay showed that sphingosine activated ceramidase expression through SphR at a concentration of 100 nM. Collectively, these results demonstrated that sphingosine induces the secretion of ceramidase by promoting the mRNA expression of ceramidase through SphR, thereby enhancing hemolytic phospholipase C-induced cytotoxicity. These results facilitate understanding of the physiological role of bacterial ceramidase in host cells.

Effect of oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum HY7714 on epidermal hydration in ultraviolet B-irradiated hairless mice.

In this study, we evaluated the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum HY7714 on skin hydration in human dermal fibroblasts and in hairless mice. In Hs68 cells, L. plantarum HY7714 not only increased the serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) mRNA level, but also decreased the ceramidase mRNA level. In order to confirm the hydrating effects of L. plantarum HY7714 in vivo, we orally administered vehicle or L. plantarum HY7714 at a dose of 1 × 10(9) CFU/day to hairless mice for 8 weeks. In hairless mice, L. plantarum HY7714 decreased UVB-induced epidermal thickness. In addition, we found that L. plantarum HY7714 administration suppressed the increase in transepidermal water loss and decrease in skin hydration, which reflects barrier function fluctuations following UV irradiation. In particular, L. plantarum HY7714 administration increased the ceramide level compared with that in the UVB group. In the experiment on SPT and ceramidase mRNA expressions, L. plantarum HY7714 administration improved the reduction in SPT mRNA levels and suppressed the increase in ceramidase mRNA levels caused by UVB in the hairless mice skins. Collectively, these results suggest that L. plantarum HY7714 can be a potential candidate for preserving skin hydration levels against UV irradiation.

The dietary ingredient, genistein, stimulates cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide expression through a novel S1P-dependent mechanism.

We recently discovered that a signaling lipid, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), generated by sphingosine kinase 1, regulates a major epidermal antimicrobial peptide's [cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP)] expression via an NF-κB→C/EBPα-dependent pathway, independent of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in epithelial cells. Activation of estrogen receptors (ERs) by either estrogens or phytoestrogens also is known to stimulate S1P production, but it is unknown whether ER activation increases CAMP production. We investigated whether a phytoestrogen, genistein, simulates CAMP expression in keratinocytes, a model of epithelial cells, by either a S1P-dependent mechanism(s) or the alternate VDR-regulated pathway. Exogenous genistein, as well as an ER-ß ligand, WAY-200070, increased CAMP mRNA and protein expression in cultured human keratinocytes, while ER-ß antagonist, ICI182780, attenuated the expected genistein- and WAY-200070-induced increase in CAMP mRNA/protein expression. Genistein treatment increased acidic and alkaline ceramidase expression and cellular S1P levels in parallel with increased S1P lyase inhibition, accounting for increased CAMP production. In contrast, siRNA against VDR did not alter genistein-mediated up-regulation of CAMP. Taken together, genistein induces CAMP production via an ER-ß→S1P→NF-κB→C/EBPα- rather than a VDR-dependent mechanism, illuminating a new role for estrogens in the regulation of epithelial innate immunity and pointing to potential additional benefits of dietary genistein in enhancing cutaneous antimicrobial defense.