The ORMDL3 asthma gene regulates ICAM1 and has multiple effects on cellular inflammation

Abstract

Rationale: Polymorphisms on chromosome 17q21 confer the major genetic susceptibility to childhood-onset asthma. Risk alleles positively correlate with ORMDL3 expression. The locus influences disease severity and the frequency of human rhinovirus (HRV) initiated exacerbations. ORMDL3 is known to regulate sphingolipid synthesis by binding serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), but its role in inflammation is incompletely understood. Objectives: To investigate the role of ORMDL3 in cellular inflammation. Methods: We modelled time-series of IL1B-induced inflammation in A549 cells, using cytokine production as outputs and testing effects of ORMDL3 siRNA knockdown, ORMDL3 overexpression, and the SPT inhibitor myriocin. We replicated selected findings in normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. Cytokine and metabolite levels were analysed by ANOVA. Transcript abundances were analysed by group means parameterisation, controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) below 0.05. Measurements and Main Results: Silencing ORMDL3 led to steroid-independent reduction of IL6 and IL8 release and reduced ER stress after IL1B. Overexpression and myriocin conversely augmented cytokine release. Knockdown reduced expression of genes regulating host-pathogen interactions, stress responses and ubiquitination: in particular ORMDL3 knockdown strongly reduced expression of the HRV receptor ICAM1. Silencing led to changes in levels of transcripts and metabolites integral to glycolysis. Increased levels of ceramides and the immune mediator sphingosine-1-P (S1P) were also observed. Conclusions: The results show ORMDL3 has pleiotropic effects during cellular inflammation, consistent with its substantial genetic influence on childhood asthma. Actions on ICAM1 provide a mechanism for the locus to confer susceptibility to HRV-induced asthma.