A transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the effect of CpG-ODN on human THP-1 monocytic leukemia cells.

The CpG motif of bacterial DNA (CpG-DNA) is a potent immunostimulating agent whose mechanism of action is not yet clear. Here, we used both DNA microarray and proteomic approaches to investigate the effects of oligodeoxynucleotides containing the CpG motif (CpG-ODN) on gene transcription and protein expression profiles of CpG-ODN responsive THP-1 cells. Microarray analysis revealed that 2 h stimulation with CpG-ODN up-regulated 50 genes and down-regulated five genes. These genes were identified as being associated with inflammation, antimicrobial defense, transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, tumor progression, cell differentiation, proteolysis and metabolism. Longer stimulation (8 h) with CpG-ODN enhanced transcriptional expression of 58 genes. Among these 58 genes, none except one, namely WNTI inducible signaling pathway protein 2, was the same as those induced after 2 h stimulation. Proteomic analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, followed by mass spectrometry identified several proteins up-regulated by CpG-ODN. These proteins included heat shock proteins, modulators of inflammation, metabolic proteins and energy pathway proteins. Comparison of microarray and proteomic expression profiles showed poor correlation. Use of more reliable and sensitive analyses, such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and functional assays, on several genes and proteins, nonetheless, confirmed that there is indeed good correlation between mRNA and protein expression after CpG-ODN treatment. This study also revealed that several anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective related proteins, not previously reported, are activated by CpG-DNA. These findings have extended our knowledge on the activation of cells by CpG-DNA and may contribute to further understanding of mechanisms that link innate immunity with acquired immune response(s).