Type 1 Interferon Limits Phagocyte Antimicrobial Function by Modulating Lysosomal Cholesterol
Year: 2019
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial pathogen that is responsible for causing listeriosis in humans and animals. These infections can lead to severe disease such as meningitis and encephalitis, with a high mortality rate especially in the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Prior studies have revealed that these bacteria can induce a type 1 interferon response that is deleterious to the host during systemic infection, while also affecting the intracellular life cycle of L. monocytogenes. However, the impact of type 1 interferon on innate cellular defenses to bacterial infections remain unclear. Here, we show that type 1 interferon can negatively impact the antimicrobial activity of macrophages. Type 1 interferon was found to cause cholesterol accumulation in lysosomes that alters their fusion with phagosomes, and also their ability to fuse with the plasma membrane in response to membrane damage. These findings help to explain how L. monocytogenes exploits type 1 interferon responses during infection.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Joel Mei Jou Tan
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3194634984