The pleiotropic Src kinase Lyn has critical roles in host defense in alveolar macrophages against bacterial infection, but the underlying mechanism for Lyn-mediated inflammatory response remains largely elusive. Using mouse Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection models, we observed that Lyn−/− mice manifest severe lung injury and enhanced inflammatory responses, compared with wild-type littermates. We demonstrate that Lyn exerts this immune function through interaction with IL-6 receptor and cytoskeletal protein Ezrin via its SH2 and SH3 domains. Depletion of Lyn results in excessive STAT3 activation, and enhanced the Src homology 2-containing inositol-5-phopsphatase 1 (SHIP-1) expression. Deletion of SHIP-1 in Lyn−/− mice (double knockout) promotes mouse survival and reduces inflammatory responses during P. aeruginosa infection, revealing the rescue of the deadly infectious phenotype in Lyn deficiency. Mechanistically, loss of SHIP-1 reduces NF-κB-dependent cytokine production and dampens MAP kinase activation through a TLR4-independent PI3K/Akt pathway. These findings reveal Lyn as a regulator for host immune response against P. aeruginosa infection through SHIP-1 and IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway in alveolar macrophages.
