title: Innate immunity against molecular mimicry: Examining galectin-mediated antimicrobial activity.
abstract: Adaptive immunity provides the unique ability to respond to a nearly infinite range of antigenic determinants. Given the inherent plasticity of the adaptive immune system, a series of tolerance mechanisms exist to reduce reactivity toward self. While this reduces the probability of autoimmunity, it also creates an important gap in adaptive immunity: the ability to recognize microbes that look like self. As a variety of microbes decorate themselves in self-like carbohydrate antigens and tolerance reduces the ability of adaptive immunity to react with self-like structures, protection against molecular mimicry likely resides within the innate arm of immunity. In this review, we will explore the potential consequences of microbial molecular mimicry, including factors within innate immunity that appear to specifically target microbes expressing self-like antigens, and therefore provide protection against molecular mimicry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Connie M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Seema R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mener
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Nourine A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Kamili
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ross M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Fasano
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Annie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sola-Visner
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Cassandra D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Sean R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Stowell
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D037161:Galectins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D037161:Galectins
keywords: adaptive immunity; carbohydrates; galectins; innate immunity; lectins; microbes