DC-SCRIPT Regulates IL-10 Production in Human Dendritic Cells by Modulating NF-κBp65 Activation

The balance between tolerance and immunity is important for the outcome of an infection or cancer, and dendritic cells (DCs) are key regulators of this balance. DC-specific transcript (DC-SCRIPT) is a protein expressed by DCs and has been demonstrated to suppress both TLR-mediated expression of IL-10 and glucocorticoid receptor-mediated transcription of glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ). Because GILZ is known to promote IL-10 production, we investigated whether these two processes are linked. Dual-knockdown and inhibition experiments demonstrated that neither GILZ nor glucocorticoid receptor play a role in TLR-induced IL-10 production after DC-SCRIPT knockdown. The NF-κB pathway is another route involved in IL-10 production after DC activation. Strikingly, inhibition of NF-κB led to a decreased TLR-mediated IL-10 production in DC-SCRIPT knockdown DCs. Moreover, DC-SCRIPT knockdown DCs showed enhanced phosphorylation, acetylation, and IL10 enhancer binding of the NF-κB subunit p65. These data demonstrate that besides nuclear receptor regulation, DC-SCRIPT also modulates activation of NF-κBp65 after TLR activation in human DCs.