Fueling the Fire with Fibers: Bacterial Amyloids Promote Inflammatory Disorders

Cell Host Microbe. 2015 Jul 8;18(1):1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2015.06.013.

Abstract

Bacterial infection is associated with increased morbidity in patients with systematic lupus erythematosus. In a recent Immunity paper, Gallo et al. (2015) report that extracellular DNA is bound tightly by bacterial amyloid fibrils during biofilm formation and that amyloid/DNA composites are immune stimulators when injected into mice, leading to autoimmunity.

Publication types

  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Escherichia coli / immunology*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / immunology*
  • Salmonella Infections / immunology*
  • Salmonella typhimurium / immunology*

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial