5cui
Crystal structure of Human Defensin-5 R28A mutant.
Structural highlights
FunctionDEF5_HUMAN Has antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Defensins are thought to kill microbes by permeabilizing their plasma membrane. All DEFA5 peptides exert antimicrobial activities, but their potency is affected by peptide processing.[1] [2] [3] Publication Abstract from PubMedShigella is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes bacillary dysentery worldwide. It invades the intestinal epithelium to elicit intense inflammation and tissue damage, yet the underlying mechanisms of its host selectivity and low infectious inoculum remain perplexing. Here, we report that Shigella co-opts human alpha-defensin 5 (HD5), a host defense peptide important for intestinal homeostasis and innate immunity, to enhance its adhesion to and invasion of mucosal tissues. HD5 promoted Shigella infection in vitro in a structure-dependent manner. Shigella, commonly devoid of an effective host-adhesion apparatus, preferentially targeted HD5 to augment its ability to colonize the intestinal epithelium through interactions with multiple bacterial membrane proteins. HD5 exacerbated infectivity and Shigella-induced pathology in a culture of human colorectal tissues and three animal models. Our findings illuminate how Shigella exploits innate immunity by turning HD5 into a virulence factor for infection, unveiling a mechanism of action for this highly proficient human pathogen. Human Enteric alpha-Defensin 5 Promotes Shigella Infection by Enhancing Bacterial Adhesion and Invasion.,Xu D, Liao C, Zhang B, Tolbert WD, He W, Dai Z, Zhang W, Yuan W, Pazgier M, Liu J, Yu J, Sansonetti PJ, Bevins CL, Shao Y, Lu W Immunity. 2018 May 22. pii: S1074-7613(18)30183-3. doi:, 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.04.014. PMID:29858013[4] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences
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