RRC ID 6746
Author Chen G, Zhuchenko O, Kuspa A.
Title Immune-like phagocyte activity in the social amoeba.
Journal Science
Abstract Social amoebae feed on bacteria in the soil but aggregate when starved to form a migrating slug. We describe a previously unknown cell type in the social amoeba, which appears to provide detoxification and immune-like functions and which we term sentinel (S) cells. S cells were observed to engulf bacteria and sequester toxins while circulating within the slug, eventually being sloughed off. A Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain protein, TirA, was also required for some S cell functions and for vegetative amoebae to feed on live bacteria. This apparent innate immune function in social amoebae, and the use of TirA for bacterial feeding, suggest an ancient cellular foraging mechanism that may have been adapted to defense functions well before the diversification of the animals.
Volume 317(5838)
Pages 678-81
Published 2007-8-3
DOI 10.1126/science.1143991
PII 317/5838/678
PMID 17673666
PMC PMC3291017
MeSH Animals Cell Separation Cytoplasmic Vesicles / metabolism Dictyostelium / cytology Dictyostelium / immunology* Dictyostelium / microbiology Dictyostelium / physiology Ethidium / metabolism Fluorescent Dyes / metabolism Gene Expression Immunity, Innate Legionella pneumophila / immunology* Mutation Phagocytes / cytology Phagocytes / immunology* Phagocytosis* Protozoan Proteins / metabolism
IF 41.846
Times Cited 112
WOS Category BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Resource
Cellular slime molds