title: Role of alpha-dystroglycan as a Schwann cell receptor for Mycobacterium leprae.
abstract: alpha-Dystroglycan (alpha-DG) is a component of the dystroglycan complex, which is involved in early development and morphogenesis and in the pathogenesis of muscular dystrophies. Here, alpha-DG was shown to serve as a Schwann cell receptor for Mycobacterium leprae, the causative organism of leprosy. Mycobacterium leprae specifically bound to alpha-DG only in the presence of the G domain of the alpha2 chain of laminin-2. Native alpha-DG competitively inhibited the laminin-2-mediated M. leprae binding to primary Schwann cells. Thus, M. leprae may use linkage between the extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton through laminin-2 and alpha-DG for its interaction with Schwann cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA. rambuka@rockvax.rockefeller.edu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rambukkana
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanazzi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mathus
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Salzer
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Yurchenco
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Fischetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001665:Binding Sites; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D049030:Dystroglycans; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000378:metabolism*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017474:Receptors, Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C483081:DAG1 protein, human; D007797:Laminin; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D017474:Receptors, Laminin; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D049030:Dystroglycans; D004492:Edetic Acid; D002118:Calcium