A PGE(2)-MEF2A axis enables context-dependent control of inflammatory gene expression

Tight control of inflammatory gene expression by antagonistic environmental cues is key to ensure immune protection while preventing tissue damage. Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) modulates macrophage activation during homeostasis and disease, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely characterized. Here we dissected the genomic properties of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced genes whose expression is antagonized by PGE(2). The latter molecule targeted a set of inflammatory gene enhancers that, already in unstimulated macrophages, displayed poorly permissive chromatin organization and were marked by the transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A). Deletion of MEF2A phenocopied PGE(2) treatment and abolished type I interferon (IFN I) induction upon exposure to innate immune stimuli. Mechanistically, PGE(2) interfered with LPS-mediated activation of ERK5, a known transcriptional partner of MEF2. This study highlights principles of plasticity and adaptation in cells exposed to a complex environment and uncovers a transcriptional circuit for IFN I induction with relevance for infectious diseases or cancer.