Nature Communications (Aug 2021)

Listeria exploits IFITM3 to suppress antibacterial activity in phagocytes

  • Joel M. J. Tan,
  • Monica E. Garner,
  • James M. Regeimbal,
  • Catherine J. Greene,
  • Jorge D. Rojas Márquez,
  • Dustin A. Ammendolia,
  • Adam R. R. McCluggage,
  • Taoyingnan Li,
  • Katherine J. Wu,
  • Marija Cemma,
  • Philip P. Ostrowski,
  • Brian Raught,
  • Michael S. Diamond,
  • Sergio Grinstein,
  • Robin M. Yates,
  • Darren E. Higgins,
  • John H. Brumell

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24982-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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Interferon (IFN) is an important component of antiviral immunity, but can also be exploited by bacteria for immune evasion. Here the authors show that Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) induces type I IFN to suppress the degradation of Lm virulence proteins, ActA and LLO, and promote Lm infection in an IFITM3-dependent manner, thereby hinting at a potential target for antimicrobial therapy.