Mycobacterium avium Infection Induces H-Ferritin Expression in Mouse Primary Macrophages by Activating Toll-Like Receptor 2

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Sandro Silva Gomes (Author) Other; Cecile Bouton (Author) Other; Tania Silva (Author) Other; Paolo Santambrogio (Author) Other; Pedro Rodrigues (Author) Other; Rui Appelberg (Author) ICBAS; Maria Salome Gomes (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: PLoS ONE

Vol. 8

Final page: e82874

ISSN: 1932-6203

Publisher: Public Library of Science

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 11 Citations

Scopus - 17 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-008-QMX

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082874

Abstract (EN): Important for both host and pathogen survivals, iron is a key factor in determining the outcome of an infectious process. Iron with-holding, including sequestration inside tissue macrophages, is considered an important strategy to fight infection. However, for intra-macrophagic pathogens, such as Mycobacterium avium, host defence may depend on intracellular iron sequestration mechanisms. Ferritin, the major intracellular iron storage protein, plays a critical role in this process. In the current study, we studied ferritin expression in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages upon infection with M. avium. We found that H-ferritin is selectively increased in infected macrophages, through an up-regulation of gene transcription. This increase was mediated by the engagement of Toll like receptor-2, and was independent of TNF-alpha or nitric oxide production. The formation of H-rich ferritin proteins and the consequent iron sequestration may be an important part of the panoply of antimicrobial mechanisms of macrophages.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7