Autophagy defends cells against invading group A Streptococcus.
We found that the autophagic machinery could effectively eliminate pathogenic group A Streptococcus (GAS) within nonphagocytic cells. After escaping from endosomes into the cytoplasm, GAS became enveloped by autophagosome-like compartments and were killed upon fusion of these compartments with lysosomes. In autophagy-deficient Atg5-/- cells, GAS survived, multiplied, and were released from the cells. Thus, the autophagic machinery can act as an innate defense system against invading pathogens.
Nakagawa
Ichiro
I
Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-Osaka 565-0871, Japan. ichiro@dent.osaka-u.ac.jp
Amano
Atsuo
A
Mizushima
Noboru
N
Yamamoto
Akitsugu
A
Yamaguchi
Hitomi
H
Kamimoto
Takahiro
T
Nara
Atsuki
A
Funao
Junko
J
Nakata
Masanobu
M
Tsuda
Kayoko
K
Hamada
Shigeyuki
S
Yoshimori
Tamotsu
T
D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000502:physiology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000276:immunology*