Ureaplasma parvum lipoproteins, including MB antigen, activate NF-{kappa}B through TLR1, TLR2 and TLR6.

Ureaplasma species (Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum) are commonly isolated pathogens from the female reproductive tract and are associated with perinatal diseases in humans. Inappropriate induction of inflammatory responses may be involved in the occurrence of such diseases; however, pathogenic agents that induce the inflammatory response have not been identified in ureaplasmas. In this study, we examined the involvement of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the activation of the immune response by U. parvum lipoproteins, as well as the U. parvum components responsible for nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation. The Triton X-114 (TX-114) detergent phase of U. parvum was found to induce NF-kappaB through TLR2. The active components of the TX-114 detergent phase were lipoproteins, such as multiple banded (MB) antigen, UU012 and UU016 of U. parvum. The activation of NF-kappaB by these lipoproteins was inhibited by dominant negative (DN) constructs of TLR1 and DN TLR6. Thus, the lipoproteins from U. parvum were found to activate NF-kappaB through TLR1, TLR2 and TLR6. Furthermore, these lipoproteins possessed an ability to induce tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in mouse peritoneal macrophages.