Mycobacterium avium infection induces H-ferritin expression in mouse primary macrophages by activating Toll-like receptor 2.

ABSTRACT: 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-

SUBMITTER: Silva-Gomes S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3857292 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature