Work

Amphiphysin IIm Is Required for Survival of Chlamydia pneumoniae in Macrophages

Year: 2004

Type: article

Abstract: Macrophages play a critical role in both innate and acquired immunity because of their unique ability to internalize, kill, and degrade bacterial pathogens through the process of phagocytosis. The adaptor protein, amphiphysin IIm, participates in phagocytosis and is transiently associated with early phagosomes. Certain pathogens, including Chlamydia pneumoniae, have evolved mechanisms to subvert macrophage phagosome maturation and, thus, are able to survive within these cells. We report here that, although amphiphysin IIm is usually only transiently associated with the phagosome, it is indefinitely retained on vacuoles containing C. pneumoniae. Under these wild-type conditions, C. pneumoniae do not elicit significant nitric oxide (NO) production and are not killed. Abrogation of amphiphysin IIm function results in C. pneumoniae-induced NO production and in the sterilization of the vacuole. The data suggest that C. pneumoniae retains amphiphysin IIm on the vacuole to survive within the macrophage.

Source: The Journal of Experimental Medicine

DOI: 10.1084/jem.20040546

Authors: Elizabeth S. Gold, Randi M. Simmons, Timothy W. Petersen, Lee Ann Campbell, Cho-Chou Kuo, Alan Aderem

Institutions: Institute for Systems Biology, University of Washington

Language: English

Topic: Autophagy in Disease and Therapy

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases