1. Academic Validation
  2. Perforin-2 is essential for intracellular defense of parenchymal cells and phagocytes against pathogenic bacteria

Perforin-2 is essential for intracellular defense of parenchymal cells and phagocytes against pathogenic bacteria

  • Elife. 2015 Sep 24;4:e06508. doi: 10.7554/eLife.06508.
Ryan M McCormack 1 Lesley R de Armas 1 Motoaki Shiratsuchi 1 Desiree G Fiorentino 1 Melissa L Olsson 1 Mathias G Lichtenheld 1 Alejo Morales 1 Kirill Lyapichev 1 Louis E Gonzalez 1 Natasa Strbo 1 Neelima Sukumar 2 Olivera Stojadinovic 3 Gregory V Plano 1 George P Munson 1 Marjana Tomic-Canic 3 Robert S Kirsner 3 David G Russell 2 Eckhard R Podack 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States.
  • 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States.
  • 3 Wound Healing and Regenerative Medicine Research Program, Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, United States.
Abstract

Perforin-2 (MPEG1) is a pore-forming, Antibacterial protein with broad-spectrum activity. Perforin-2 is expressed constitutively in phagocytes and inducibly in parenchymal, tissue-forming cells. In vitro, Perforin-2 prevents the intracellular replication and proliferation of Bacterial pathogens in these cells. Perforin-2 knockout mice are unable to control the systemic dissemination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Salmonella typhimurium and perish shortly after epicutaneous or orogastric Infection respectively. In contrast, Perforin-2-sufficient littermates clear the Infection. Perforin-2 is a transmembrane protein of cytosolic vesicles -derived from multiple organelles- that translocate to and fuse with bacterium containing vesicles. Subsequently, Perforin-2 polymerizes and forms large clusters of 100 Å pores in the Bacterial surface with Perforin-2 cleavage products present in bacteria. Perforin-2 is also required for the bactericidal activity of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and hydrolytic enzymes. Perforin-2 constitutes a novel and apparently essential bactericidal effector molecule of the innate immune system.

Keywords

E. coli; MRSA; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; NO; ROS; S. typhimurium; human; immunology; infectious disease; microbiology; mouse; pathogenic bacteria.

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