Promotion of Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase 4 by GLUT1-Dependent Glycolysis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019 May;71(5):766-772. doi: 10.1002/art.40785. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Abstract

Objective: To clarify the significance of immunometabolism in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to determine the effect of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 4 (CaMK4) on T cell metabolism.

Methods: Metabolomic profiling was performed using capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry in naive T cells from MRL/lpr mice treated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies in the absence or presence of a CaMK4 inhibitor (KN-93). The expression of GLUT1 and CaMK4 in CD4+ T cells from healthy controls (n = 16), patients with inactive SLE (n = 13), and patients with active SLE (n = 14) was examined by flow cytometry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In vitro experiments were performed to determine the effect of KN-93 on the expression of GLUT1 during Th17 cell differentiation in T cells from patients with SLE.

Results: CaMK4 inhibition significantly decreased the levels of glycolytic intermediates such as glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, pyruvate, and lactate (P < 0.05), whereas it did not affect the levels of the pentose phosphate pathway intermediates such as 6-phospho-d-gluconate, ribulose-5-phosphate, ribose-5-phosphate, and phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate. The expression levels of GLUT1 and CaMK4 in effector memory CD4+ T cells were significantly higher in patients with active SLE compared to healthy controls (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) and patients with inactive SLE (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). A functional analysis revealed that CaMK4 inhibition decreased the expression of GLUT1 during Th17 cell differentiation (P < 0.01), followed by a reduction of interleukin-17 (IL-17) production (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that the activity of CaMK4 could be responsible for glycolysis, which contributes to the production of IL-17, and CaMK4 may contribute to aberrant expression of GLUT1 in T cells from patients with active SLE.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Benzylamines / pharmacology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 4 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 4 / metabolism*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Female
  • Fructosediphosphates / metabolism
  • Fructosephosphates / metabolism
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / drug effects
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1 / metabolism*
  • Glucose-6-Phosphate / metabolism
  • Glycolysis / drug effects
  • Glycolysis / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Interleukin-17 / immunology
  • Lactic Acid / metabolism
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / immunology
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Metabolome
  • Metabolomics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred MRL lpr
  • Middle Aged
  • Pentose Phosphate Pathway / drug effects
  • Pentose Phosphate Pathway / physiology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Pyruvic Acid / metabolism
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology
  • Th17 Cells / drug effects
  • Th17 Cells / immunology*

Substances

  • Benzylamines
  • Fructosediphosphates
  • Fructosephosphates
  • Glucose Transporter Type 1
  • Interleukin-17
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Sulfonamides
  • KN 93
  • Lactic Acid
  • Glucose-6-Phosphate
  • fructose-6-phosphate
  • Pyruvic Acid
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 4
  • fructose-1,6-diphosphate