Mucosal physical and chemical innate barriers: Lessons from microbial evasion strategies.
The innate immune system has evolved since millions of years under a selective pressure. Among the different host mechanisms selected and conserved as a first line of defense, the gastrointestinal mucus layer constitutes an efficient physical and chemical barrier against invading microbes. Mucin glycoproteins and antimicrobial peptides are the major components of the mucus barrier, and evidences prove that they form an effective protection against most microbes. However, successful pathogens have evolved evasion strategies to circumvent this defense barrier. Here, we discuss the interactions between pathogens, mucins, and antimicrobial peptides, and the mechanisms that pathogens have developed to evade the innate defense systems of the intestinal mucosal barrier.
Unité de Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France; Unité INSERM 1202, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France. Electronic address: brice.sperandio@pasteur.fr.
Brice
B
Sperandio
Unité de Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France; Unité INSERM 1202, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France.
Natalie
N
Fischer
Unité de Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France; Unité INSERM 1202, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France; Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Collège de France, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France.
Philippe J
PJ
Sansonetti
D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D057131:Immune Evasion; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism; D009093:Mucus / Q000276:immunology
D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D009077:Mucins
Antimicrobial peptide; Epithelial cell; Evasion; Gastrointestinal mucosa; Mucin; Pathogen