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'Invisible' bacteria dupe the human immune system
February 20, 2008Scientists at the University of York have characterised an important new step in the mechanism used by bacteria to evade our immune system.
It is an 'invisibility cloak' which means that bacteria like Haemophilus influenzae, a common cause of ear infections in children, can move about the body without the risk of being attacked by the immune system.
A multidisciplinary research team from the Departments of Biology and Chemistry at York have been studying how bacteria capture the molecule used to make the 'cloak', called sialic acid.
The researchers have now discovered an enzymatic activity that helps in the more efficient capture of sialic acids released from our cell surfaces. As well as using the sialic acid to make the 'invisibility cloak' other bacteria use similar methods to capture sialic acid as a simple food source, so are literally eating us from the inside!
The research is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Dr Gavin Thomas, of the Department of Biology, who led the research said: "This novel enzyme, as well as other steps required for the formation of the 'invisibility cloak' that we have discovered in York, now offers the chance to develop novel antimicrobials against these bacteria."
The work, which was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), was undertaken by Dr. Emmanuele Severi (Biology - Thomas lab) in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Potts (Biology and Chemistry), Dr Andrew Leech (Biology) and Professor Keith Wilson and Dr Axel Müller (Chemistry and York Structural Biology Laboratory).
The team used the Centre for Magnetic Resonance based in the Department of Chemistry, and the Technology Facility in the Department of Biology.
University of York
The researchers have now discovered an enzymatic activity that helps in the more efficient capture of sialic acids released from our cell surfaces. As well as using the sialic acid to make the 'invisibility cloak' other bacteria use similar methods to capture sialic acid as a simple food source, so are literally eating us from the inside!
The research is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Dr Gavin Thomas, of the Department of Biology, who led the research said: "This novel enzyme, as well as other steps required for the formation of the 'invisibility cloak' that we have discovered in York, now offers the chance to develop novel antimicrobials against these bacteria."
The work, which was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), was undertaken by Dr. Emmanuele Severi (Biology - Thomas lab) in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Potts (Biology and Chemistry), Dr Andrew Leech (Biology) and Professor Keith Wilson and Dr Axel Müller (Chemistry and York Structural Biology Laboratory).
The team used the Centre for Magnetic Resonance based in the Department of Chemistry, and the Technology Facility in the Department of Biology.
University of York
Immune System Current Events and Immune System News RSSFirst reconstitution of an epidermis from human embryonic stem cells
Stem cell research is making great strides. This is yet again illustrated by a study carried out by the I-STEM* Institute (I-STEM/ Inserm UEVE U861/AFM), published in the Lancet on 21 November 2009. The I-STEM team, directed by Marc Peschanski has just succeeded in recreating a whole epidermis from human embryonic stem cells.
New findings suggest strategy to help generate HIV-neutralizing antibodies
New discoveries about anti-HIV antibodies may bring researchers a step closer to creating an effective HIV vaccine, according to a new paper co-authored by scientists at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.
UAB Researchers Discover Antibody Receptor Identity, Propose Renaming Immune-System Gene
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders.
New culprit for viral infections among elderly -- an overactive immune response
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that exaggerated responses of the immune system explain why the elderly succumb to viral infections more readily than younger people.
Women at risk from vitamin A deficiency
Almost half of UK women could be suffering from a lack of vitamin A due to a previously undiscovered genetic variation, scientists at Newcastle University have found.
Immune system activated in schizophrenia
Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered that patients with recent-onset schizophrenia have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their brains. Their findings offer hope of being able to treat schizophrenia with drugs that affect the immune system.
Thoughtful words help couples stay fighting fit
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Largest gene study of childhood IBD identifies 5 new genes
In the largest, most comprehensive genetic analysis of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an international research team has identified five new gene regions, including one involved in a biological pathway that helps drive the painful inflammation of the digestive tract that characterizes the disease.
Faithful mothers have healthier babies
Faculty of 1000 reviewers examine a study from New Zealand on whether prolonged exposure to the father's semen protects new mothers against pre-eclampsia and having an undersized baby
Hoping for a fluorescent basket case
Although recent advances have raised hopes that a protective vaccine can be developed, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains a major public health problem.
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