Neuronal injury mediated via stimulation of microglial toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9)
Abstract
Innate immune cells express toll‐like receptor‐9 (TLR9) and respond to unmethylated, CG dinucleotide motif‐rich DNA released from bacteria during infection or endogenous cells during autoimmune tissue injury. Oligonucleotides containing CG dinucleotide (CpG‐DNA) mimic the effect of unmethylated DNA and stimulate TLR9. CpG‐DNA was cytotoxic to neurons in organotypic brain cultures. Neurotoxicity of CpG‐DNA was mediated via microglial cells and started primarily from neurites as determined by time‐lapse imaging of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)‐transfected neurons. Cultured brain microglial cells expressed TLR9 and responded to CpG‐DNA by production of the inflammatory mediators nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α). Blockade of NO synthase and TNF‐α prevented damage of neurites and neurotoxicity of CpG‐DNA. The data suggest that stimulation of microglia via TLR9 and subsequent release of NO and TNF‐α is a major source of neurotoxicity in bacterial and autoimmune brain tissue injury.
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In vitro, CpG-DNA caused microglia activation through TLR9, which further induced neuronal toxicity.
“In vitro experiments revealed that CpG-DNA caused microglia activation through TLR9, which further induced neuronal toxicity.319”
From Role of neuroinflammation in neurodegeneration development (2023) · cites this paper as [319]
A synthetic TLR9 agonist causes neurite loss in organotypic cortico-hippocampal slices, which lack a source of infiltrating immune cells.
“However, a synthetic TLR9 agonist causes neurite loss in organotypic cortico-hippocampal slices,87 which lack a source of infiltrating immune cells”
From An innate immune response to adeno-associated virus genomes decreases cortical dendritic complexity and disrupts synaptic transmission (2024) · cites this paper as [87]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Iliev, A. I., Stringaris, A. K., Nau, R., & Neumann, H.
- Affiliations
- European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen (DE)
- University of Göttingen (DE)
- Venue
- The FASEB Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-12-19
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 1-17
- ISSN
- 0892-6638 (ISSN-L)
- 1530-6860
- OpenAlex
- W2129170329
- Cited by
- 192
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 7.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The FASEB Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- GRO (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune Response and Inflammation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Inflammasome and immune disorders
- Keywords
- TLR9, microglia, CpG DNA, neuroinflammation, neuronal injury, neurotoxicity, nitric oxide, TNF-α, innate immunity, bacterial infection, neurites, organotypic brain cultures
- MeSH terms
- Cells, Cultured, Cerebral Cortex, DNA, DNA-Binding Proteins, Hippocampus, Models, Biological, Neurons, Nitric Oxide, Oligonucleotides, Receptors, Cell Surface, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Neurites, Microglia, CpG Islands, DNA Methylation, Toll-Like Receptor 9, In Vitro Techniques
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