Phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) is required for LPS-mediated macrophage activation through CD14.

Lipid rafts, composed of sphingolipids, are critical to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) assembly during lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure, as a result of protein kinase C (PKC)-zeta activation. However, the mechanism responsible for this remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine if LPS-induced TLR4 assembly and activation are dependent on the sphingolipid metabolite ceramide produced by phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) or CD14. To study this, THP-1 cells were stimulated with LPS. Selected cells were pretreated with the PC-PLC inhibitor D609, exogenous C2 ceramide, CD14 neutralizing antibody, or TLR4 neutralizing antibody. LPS led to production of ceramide, phosphorylation of PKC-zeta, and assembly of the TLR4 within lipid rafts. This was followed by activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family and the liberation of cytokines. Pretreatment with D609 or CD14 blockade was associated with attenuated LPS-induced ceramide production, TLR4 assembly on lipid rafts, and cytokine production. Pretreatment with TLR4 blockade did not affect LPS-induced ceramide production but was associated with significant attenuation in cytokine production. Treatment with C2 ceramide prior to LPS reversed the inhibitory effects induced by D609 but not of CD14 or TLR4 blockade. C2 ceramide alone induced the activation of PKC-zeta and the assembly of TLR4 but was not associated with cytokine liberation. This study demonstrates that TLR4 assembly and activation following LPS exposure require the production of ceramide by PC-PLC, which appears to be CD14-dependent.