Scavenger receptor for lipoteichoic acid is involved in the potent ability of Lactobacillus plantarum strain L-137 to stimulate production of interleukin-12p40

• Heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum strain L-137 (HK L-137) is a potent inducer of interleukin(IL)-12.
• HK L-137 exposes more lipoteichoic acid(LTA) on its cell surface than other strains.
• Phagocytosis was correlated with IL-12P40 production by murine splenic adherent cells.
• Scavenger receptor A(SR-A) for LTA of HK L-137 is responsible for higher efficiency of phagocytosis of HK L-137.
• SR-A-mediated phagocytosis is responsible for the potent ability of HK L-137 to induce IL-12p40.

Heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum strain L-137 (HK L-137) is a more potent inducer of interleukin (IL)-12 than other heat-killed Lactobacillus strains. To elucidate the mechanism involved in this IL-12p40 induction, we compared HK L-137 with heat-killed L. plantarum strain JCM1149 (HK JCM1149) by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Results showed that HK L-137 contained lipoteichoic acid (LTA) with a chemical structure similar to that of JCM1149, except for a lower degree of glucosyl substitution in the poly(glycerol phosphate) backbone. Lysozyme sensitivity and electrophoretic moiety analysis revealed that HK L-137 exposed more LTA on its cell surface than HK JCM1149. Phagocytosis of HK L-137 by splenic adherent cells was significantly greater than that of HK JCM1149. Anti-LTA antibody and anti-scavenger receptor-A (SR-A) antibody selectively inhibited phagocytosis of HK L-137, as well as IL-12p40 production, by splenic adherent cells. Thus, a higher efficiency of phagocytosis of HK L-137 via SR-A for LTA is responsible for the potent IL-12p40 induction.

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