Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection results in toxin-induced epithelial injury and marked colonic inflammation. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NF-kappa B which regulated by MAP kinase phosphatase (MKP, also known as dual specificity phosphatases, DUSP) are fundamental signalling pathways that mediate multiple cellular processes. However, the regulation of DUSP/MAPKs and NF-kappa B pathway in C. difficile-induced colonic inflammation remains unclear. Here, we report that TcdB significantly inhibits cell viability and induces production of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha and activation of MAPKs and NF-kappa B. An E3-ubiquitin ligase, TRIM46, ubiquitinates DUSP1, and its knockdown significantly inhibit TcdB-induced activation of MAPKs and NF-kappa B and production of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha. Moreover, TRIM46 overexpression induced production of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha also reversed by DUSP1 overexpression. We further found that promoter of TRIM46 also demonstrated binding to NF-kappa Bp65, leading to regulate TRIM46 expression. In addition, the increased colonic inflammation induced by C. difficile administration was inhibited by TRIM46 knockdown in vivo. Taken together, the present study shows that TRIM46, as a new regulator of DUSP1/MAPKs and NF-kappa B signalling pathway, plays an important role in TcdB-induced colonic inflammation.
