The long pentraxin PTX3 as a link among innate immunity, inflammation, and female fertility.
The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is member of a complex superfamily of multifunctional proteins characterized by a cyclic multimeric structure. PTX3 is highly conserved in evolution and is produced by innate-immunity cells in response to proinflammatory signals and Toll-like receptor engagement. PTX3 plays complex, nonredundant functions in vivo, acting as a predecessor of antibodies, recognizing microbes, activating complement, facilitating pathogen recognition by phagocytes, and hence, playing a nonredundant role in resistance against selected pathogens. In addition, PTX3 is essential in female fertility by acting as a nodal point for the assembly of the cumulus oophorus hyaluronan-rich extracellular matrix. Thus, the prototypic long pentraxin PTX3 is a multifunctional, soluble pattern recognition receptor acting as a nonredundant component of the humoral arm of innate immunity and involved in matrix deposition and female fertility.
Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan, Italy. barbara.bottazzi@humanitas.it
Barbara
B
Bottazzi
Antonio
A
Bastone
Andrea
A
Doni
Cecilia
C
Garlanda
Sonia
S
Valentino
Livija
L
Deban
Virginia
V
Maina
Alessia
A
Cotena
Federica
F
Moalli
Luca
L
Vago
Antonietta
A
Salustri
Luigina
L
Romani
Alberto
A
Mantovani
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000276:immunology*; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000276:immunology*; D000099153:Pentraxins
D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins