IL-1beta-induced phosphorylation of PKB/Akt depends on the presence of IRAK-1.

IL-1, IL-18 and LPS are recognized by specific receptor complexes of the Toll/IL-1R family, characterized by a common intracellular domain indispensable for downstream signaling. Upon ligand binding, these receptors activate the central MyD88-IRAK-TRAF6 signaling module, resulting in the activation of NF-kappaB. Ligated receptors also induce activation of other signaling cascades, suchas the PI3-kinase (PI3-K) and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Unlike the p38MAPK pathway, which couples to the central signaling module, the PI3-K pathway seems to directly interact with the receptor molecules. Thus, activation of the PI3-K pathway is thought to be independent of the IRAK-containing signaling module. Employing two cell lines, we show that the PI3-K pathways can be activated by IL-1, IL-18 or LPS with comparable, but cell type specific kinetics, which can be correlated to biological consequences. This indicates that activation of the PI3-K pathways may be regulated by an element common for all three receptor types, the MyD88-IRAK-TRAF6 module being a candidate for this function. Using an IRAK-1-deficient cell line, we demonstrate that the IRAK-1-containing signaling module is essential for the IL-1-induced activation of the PI3-K pathway. Possible models of the interaction between IRAK-1 and the PI3-K pathway are discussed.